


A Different Way to Grow

by tooshorttobesweet



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Characters Watching Haikyuu, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Watching the Show, just a little bit, other teams will be added as the show progresses, rated teen bc idk what's gonna happen, the relationships are very light but implied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25019869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tooshorttobesweet/pseuds/tooshorttobesweet
Summary: It's going to happen anyway.They're going to see it at one point.Why can't they just watch it unfold a little earlier?In which a girl needs practice to save a different world, and these characters are the perfect opportunity.ORHaikyuu characters watch their own show!
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 43
Kudos: 211





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A few months ago, I came across this category of fanfictions and immediately looked for one in all my favourite shows. When I fell for Haikyuu, I think I might've found ONE of these (and it was great, but probably abandoned and I am needy) and realized "oh, that won't do."
> 
> So, here we are. Not sure how many people are looking for this kind of thing, but I hope I can do it justice anyway. And no, despite what it looks like, my OC will not be a huge part of this other than giving them the ability to watch it in the first place. I made her for this specifically, so she's a pretty flat character anyway. But enough of the note. As they say in theatre, on with the show!

“...eyama. Kageyama. Kageyama!” A hand shook him and his face contorted into a frown, barely conscious. “Jeez, you even look scary asleep. Anyway, Bakageyama, wake up! We’ve been kidnapped!”

“...Heh?” Kageyama’s eyes opened, slowly, and he smacked his mouth a few times. For all his sleep-addled mind could see, they were still on the bus. 

Beside him, Hinata huffed. “How is it you don’t freak out if that’s the first thing you hear?”

Kageyama gave him an unimpressed look. “Because _you_ said it, dumbass.” Hinata spluttered and he rolled his eyes. “Where are we, really?”

“I’m afraid his majesty will have to listen to the peasants, for once,” A voice piped up from in front of him. Kageyama scowled. That was _not_ a voice he wanted to hear when he woke up. Well, neither was Hinata’s, but still. That one even _less_. 

“How are you all so cool with this?” A shaky voice asked. The fact that it was Yamaguchi annoyed him a _little_ less, and he turned to look across the aisle at Salty French Fry and Co. Like his voice suggested, Yamaguchi’s eyes were wide and he was shaking slightly, leaning toward Tsukishima’s seat like he couldn’t balance properly if he tried. Tsukishima looked indifferent, as usual, but there was something in the furrow of his brow that told Kageyama something was off. 

Really, he wasn’t sure how he didn’t notice it earlier. His head suddenly turned to look at the rest of the bus and his heartbeat picked up slightly. All the windows were dark. Like, _pitch black_. It was like something was blocking all the natural sunlight, and the only reason he could see was because of the overhead lights in the bus. Still, they were dim. Barely bright enough to illuminate his teammates' faces, something he had chalked up to drowsiness, and definitely too dark to wake anyone else up. Which was another thing to add to the list of confusion and growing panic. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Kageyama asked, and he heard a murmured ‘thank you’ from Yamaguchi. Hinata shrugged, and now that Kageyama had shown a little emotion, it seemed he was letting the situation get to him a bit more. 

“Don’t know. Yamaguchi woke up because Tsukishima’s big head made a _thunk_ on the front of his seat,” Tsukishima scowled, “And then Tsukishima woke up because his glasses made a loud noise when they fell. That woke me up too,” Hinata looked solemn. “I wake up with anything ever since Natsu was born.”

“Go on,” Kageyama urged.

“With what?” Hinata looked truly puzzled. “That’s it. I woke you up when I realized you were still asleep like everyone else.” Kageyama gave him an annoyed look. It was mainly at the reminder of how rudely he was woken up, but Hinata gasped and took it as something else. “You don’t think I had anything to do with this, do you?”

Kageyama snorted, raising his head over the seats to look at the others. “Of course not. You’re too stupid to plan anything. Besides, 5 minutes ago you were still shitting yourself at the thought of a practice match.”

Knowing this would only escalate, and with an annoyed sigh from Tsukki, Yamaguchi interrupted. “Um, should we wake up everyone else?”

 _“No need,”_ a voice said, and it sounded like it was coming from the radio. Hinata jumped and shifted closer to Kageyama in what he hoped was a subtle way. Kageyama was too wound up by that voice on the radio to care. Before anyone could say anything though, the radio made the noise again, and the volume was ten times louder. 

_“GOOD AFTERNOON KARASUNO HIGH SCHOOL!”_

Everyone jumped awake at that point. Tanaka slammed his head into the window behind his seat, the first years wincing at the sound of teeth clicking together. Sugawara fell off his seat with a yelp, Daichi twitched like he had a seizure and Kinoshita jumped slightly, but simply put a hand over his chest to calm himself. Kazuhito and Ennoshita just blinked their eyes open. It was a little disconcerting, but their next reactions of clinging to each other in the dark made it a little more normal. Kiyoko immediately turned to ensure everyone was on the bus. It seemed they were but… Takeda-sensei and Ukai-san were gone?

“Wh-who are you?!” Hinata asked. He tried to put on a brave front, but he was trembling at the idea of having no clue where they were. 

_“See that’s… that fact specifically isn’t really important. Honestly, I’m surprised your first thought wasn’t ‘Where in the heck are we?”!”_

“He’s a little slow, excuse him,” Tsukishima interrupted, and Hinata snapped out of his fear enough to glare at him. “I’ll ask instead - what’s going on?”

_“Ah, a question that encompasses all questions. Very to the point. I’m glad that never changes about you.”_

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes and Yamaguchi tilted his head a little. _Never changes?_

“Could you please answer his question?” Daichi put in.

The voice hummed. _“How polite! Though, I guess you do have no clue who you’re dealing with. Always thinking, huh Captain? Anywho, enough stalling. Please exit the bus and follow the glowing lights to the theatre! I’ll explain more once you’re there, sound good?”_

Tanaka growled, making his way to the front of the bus. “Oi, just tell us where we are you weirdo. There’s no way I’m-” Ennoshita put his hand out in the aisle to stop him, a little too forcefully, and Tanaka wheezed as the air was knocked out of him. He looked up to see Sugawara shaking his head.

“Just listen, for now, Tanaka,” he whispered, looking a little pale despite his calm demeanour. “Right now, all we know is that this person has all the power. Let’s wait a little bit to fight back.”

Still looking angry, Tanaka huffed and crossed his arms but stopped marching anyway. Daichi stood from where he sat at the front of the bus, turned to his team, and nodded. Hinata gulped audibly and Yamaguchi’s trembling increased tenfold, but they all stood. 

_“I’m not going to hurt any of you,”_ the voice added after a beat. The tone was suddenly a lot less playful and more serious. _“Just… just follow and hear me out.”_

With Daichi leading, and Tanaka taking up the rear, they all filed out of the suddenly open bus door, a light now shining through the windows. There really wasn’t any place to run. The bus was in a large garage, and the gate was locked firmly behind them. There were two doorways, one with a closed door, and the other with glowing LEDs lining the floor as far as they could see. Daichi hesitated, for a moment, and then led the others down that hallway.

It opened into what looked like a very large home theatre. The room itself was huge, but the screen only covered about a quarter of the wall slightly below the center. It was off, currently, but the number of seats in front of it made it seem like it should’ve been a full-on movie theatre. And, standing right in front of the screen, was a small figure with tense shoulders.

“H-”

“You!”

The person startled, taking a step back. Ignoring Sugawara’s panicked expressions, Tanaka pushed to the front of the group - stepping carefully around Kiyoko - with an accusing finger. “Just who do you think… think… you are?” His voice was barely a whisper at the end, and they all stared at the surprising sight. 

Eyes wide and fists balled, a girl who was around their age stood rigid before them. Or, at least, she looked and dressed mature enough to be a high schooler, but she appeared shorter than Hinata. “And I’m not even used to Asahi-san’s height,” she whispered, probably to herself but the room was quiet enough to hear her.

“Were you taken too?” Ennoshita thought to ask. He didn’t really register the use of their ace’s name, too busy shoving an increasingly red Tanaka aside. She laughed, breathily and nervous, and Tanaka put a hand to his chest like it pained him. “Well-”

“Ryuu!” 

“Noya?” Tanaka gaped. No longer focusing on the steadily relaxing girl, he watched in shock as Nishinoya skipped toward them from the hallway where they’d entered. Daichi and Sugawara copied his expressions when a nervous Asahi trailed in behind him. “Asahi?”

Hinata poked Kageyama in the side, still a little in shock by the pretty, _shorter-than-him_ girl. “Who are they?” Kageyama shrugged. 

“How am I supposed to know?”

Nishinoya grinned widely and smacked Tanaka on the back when he was close enough. “You guys are here! I was beginning to think Ms. Mysterious Beauty over there was seriously insane!”

The unnamed girl blushed but didn’t look away when they turned to her. Oddly enough, her looks were reminiscent of Kiyoko’s, glasses framing big eyes and delicate features. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Well, she hasn’t explained why we’ve been kidnapped so I think it’s safe to say she’s at least a little mentally ill.”

Yamaguchi looked ready to faint. “Tsukki!”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ve already told Nishinoya-san and Asahi-san, so I should probably do that for you now.” She raised her hands, but whether it was to appear non-threatening or to defend herself was unclear. “Hear me out until the end, okay?”

If anyone was going to argue, they stopped when Daichi raised his own hand and gestured for her to continue. 

“My name is Shirogane Yukio, but who I am as a person isn’t really relevant. In another world, in another time, the end of peace and life as they know it is about to end. Many people will lose their lives, and the people who survive it will be controlled by a terrible power. I… I believe I have the ability to stop this, but I’m not strong enough, yet. You all can help me gain this power by sitting down and watching your lives unfold before your eyes, past, present, and future. Literally before your eyes, on this screen behind me. It’s not much of persuasion but,” Yukio bow before them harshly, and the ones closest to her jumped back. “Please stay here and witness your life as a TV show!”

There was a beat of silence, and then snickering from behind a hand. “You really expect us to believe you have some sort of otherworldly power? It sounds more like you’ve been stalking us with a video camera and now want us to watch creepy videos with you.” Yamaguchi didn’t bother scolding his best friend for the disrespect. He was in the same boat as his teammates - bewildered and seriously beginning to be concerned for their own safety. 

Yukio faltered, but then gestured to the screen with a wave of her hand. “But look!”

When she waved, the screen turned on and a man’s sinister smile was suddenly shown. Taken aback, they could only watch as the angle changed to show him sitting in front of various, purple-tinted screens, an odd-looking hat on his head in front of a rat-like symbol. 

“That… that could’ve just been timed or motion-activated,” Sugawara pointed out, although he was beginning to doubt. Laughing loudly, Nishinoya shook his head behind them. 

“That’s what Asahi-san thought, too. But show ‘em, Yuki!”

With a wave of her free hand in their direction, a different scene panned out before them, but this time… in their heads? A young man with shaggy brown hair and a trench coat tossed an apple into the air before him. His mouth and eyes were wide in shock and pain, a _bullet_ going straight through his abdomen, blood spurting from his mouth and wound. 

When a few of the team gasped, horrified, Yukio pulled them out of the vision, panting slightly. “ _That_ is what I mean by someone losing their life.”

There was silence. The team’s minds were reeling to comprehend the scenes they just saw, so vivid it looked like a dream. Or nightmare, in the dead man’s case. 

“You- you said in another world,” Yamaguchi spoke up, softly. He didn’t want to seem like a coward, or uncaring, but- “How does this affect us?”

“It doesn’t,” Yukio admitted. She looked a little tired after the vision showing. “I just hoped a little sympathy could go a long way.”

“You also said you’re not strong enough,” Kageyama accused. “What does that make us? Your guinea pigs?”

She hesitated for a moment. “I’ve… personally, I’ve never done this before, no. But,” Yukio raised her fisted hands, eyes suddenly bright and excited, “I’ve seen it done before. And it worked. Others were able to save so many lives by showing the past, future, whatever. And this is beneficial to you guys too, I swear! You’ll grow so much closer as a team, and none of those nit-picky time travel consequences happen in any of the futures I saw.”

She was small, but they were suddenly overwhelmed by her determined presence. Daichi looked conflicted, but it seemed Sugawara had already made up his mind. “Daichi,” he whispered, but he really didn’t have to. Hinata and Nishinoya, despite not even knowing each other’s names, had begun to bond over the excitement of seeing the future. _Loudly._

“She doesn’t seem to have any bad intentions. Look, even Kiyoko’s warming up to her.” The manager in question had walked closer to her and complimented her glasses, Yukio’s smile widening quickly. “Asahi hasn’t fainted yet, and he’s been around here the longest. Nishinoya doesn’t look the slightest bit wary.” Smiling at his captain, Sugawara asked, “Let’s give it a try?”

Daichi looked at his face and sighed. He then called to Yukio, “You said this won’t negatively affect our future?”

Looking up from her conversation with Hinata and Nishinoya, who excitedly begged her to tell them more about her ‘superpowers,’ Yukio nodded. “Positive.”

Knowing where this was going, the other players stood up a little straighter in anticipation of what was to come. What would they see of their past? How far would they go into the future? It was clear some were looking forward to it more than others. 

Daichi looked resigned. “Well, where do we sit?”


	2. Episode 1: The End & The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team's weird yet exciting experience is kickstarted with the game that started it all: Yukigaoka VS Kitagawa Daiichi. However, with all these flashes into the past and their kouhai's overwhelming emotions, they're in for a lot more than a volleyball match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowza writing what i've been calling the "script" really does take a MINUTE to finish but it's so satisfying when it's done lemme tell ya. and to clarify, they were snatched at the end of ep5 - so no asahi or noya meeting the first years, and no practice match
> 
> also i'm always trying to respond to your comments and the support i got in such (what i consider) relatively little time made me really excited so thank y'all~
> 
> and finally: i do not own Haikyuu!! or any part of it so please dont sue :D

“Why can’t you show us in our heads like earlier?” Narita asked, more curious than judgmental.

They were all seated in the seats closest to the screen, not needing to look up since the screen was already low. The second years sat in the front row, the first years behind them, and their senpais right behind them, including Kiyoko. 

Yukio shook her head. “Too much effort. Maybe after this, I’ll be able to hold it for longer, but for now, I can really only ‘project’ it on the screen so you can all see it together, not individually.” 

She walked over to sit two seats away from Tanaka in the front row. “But, I am ready now. Please don’t try to interact with me unless it’s absolutely necessary, or the projection might stop. The bathroom was that other door you saw on the way in, in case of an emergency, but we’ll definitely be taking breaks for your sake and mine.” Taking a deep breath, she smiled reassuringly at the team. “Ready?”

“Yes!” Hinata shouted, causing Kageyama to rub his ear angrily. Yukio giggled at his enthusiasm, closed her eyes, and the screen lit up once more.

**The screen is white, and the squeaking of shoes on a freshly waxed floor is barely heard.**

“A volleyball court!” Hinata whispered rather loudly and Kageyama shushed him. 

“Do you have to comment on everything, dumbass?”

“Not unless I think it’s exciting!”

On the other side of him, Tsukishima inwardly groaned. Yeah, that meant he would react to _everything_.

**Then, a gym floor is shown, and someone steps forward. The angle changes and a boy is standing in front of a volleyball net. He dons a black and orange uniform with the number 10, and his hair is bright orange. The squeaking of shoes grows louder in the background, sounds of volleyballs hitting the floor joining in.**

Hinata gasped audibly, smacking Kageyama out of reflex, but he didn’t really care. In fact, all of them were a little in shock, seeing the small boy on screen. It dawned on them that they would really be watching themselves, in the third person, doing things they themselves hadn’t done yet. 

In all honesty, it was a little… unnerving. Some of them shifted uncomfortably. 

**_A tall, tall wall looms in front of me,_ ** **a voice, presumably the boy, says. There’s a cut to the top of the net. Suddenly, 3 pairs of hands reach over the top in a block. It cuts back to the boy.**

 **_What’s the view on the other side?_ ** **He takes a deep breath.** **_What does it look like?_ **

Sensing Kageyama’s glare, Hinata kept his mouth shut, eyes shining. But those were _his_ thoughts. He knew it should probably be creepy - but something about that uniform excited him too much to care about anything else. 

**A more wide view of the net is shown.** **_The view from the top…_ ** **He is shown standing in front of the net.** **_It’s a view I could never see on my own._ ** **5 more pairs of shoes come up to stand beside him. A few jump and stretch, seemingly warming up.** **_But if I’m not doing it alone…_ ** **A whistle blows.**

**“Let’s play!” Many voices say at once. They all step forward, and the screen goes white once more.**

“Ryuu! I think I saw my shoes!” Nishinoya exclaimed, shaking Tanaka, who was probably trembling on his own with exhilaration. 

Tanaka nodded quickly. “Same! This is so-”

Kinoshita and Narita shushed them. “Not too loud, guys,” Ennoshita hissed. “Yukio told us not to distract her.” Making a show of leaning forward in their seats, Tanaka and Nishinoya looked pointedly at the girl in question. She hadn’t even reacted, eyes shut, sitting still as a board. 

“Yeah, somehow I don’t think us being loud will be an issue.”

**A bike is shown rolling across the pavement.**

**“All right!” Someone cheers, and the bike stops. The boy from earlier is shown watching something on a TV from a store, two other men already there. Cheers are heard faintly from the TV.**

“Look at how small he was, Daichi!” Sugawara cooed. In front of them, Hinata blushed as Tsukishima gave him a shit-eating grin. 

“Was, past tense?” Tsukishima wondered aloud. Yamaguchi giggled as Hinata turned increasingly red in both embarrassment and anger. 

**On-screen, a volleyball player clad in orange receives the ball, and the boy takes a breath. Someone sets the ball, and another swings his arms back to jump. Black, crow-like wings are pictured faintly behind his arms. The boy watches attentively with a sparkle in his eye.**

_The little giant,_ Daichi recognizes, _the player Hinata is so obsessed with. Is this…?_

**The other team jumps up to block, but the player imagined with wings jumps higher than the block. He doesn’t look very tall, and his jump is astounding.**

**A crow flies forward and then makes way for the boy, whose face is in awe, hair whipping around as the crow’s feathers flutter around him.**

“I’ve never thought of it like this,” Asahi says quietly. He still believes he’s lost interest in volleyball, but the cinematic addition of crow's wings makes him think the little giant is, well, literally flying.

 **_“Score!”_ ** **A whistle blows and the team celebrates.** **_“The ‘Little Giant’ lives up to his name! That’s five points in a row.”_ ** **One of the men from earlier claps. “** **_Here we are at the National High School Volleyball Championship, spring season, where Karasuno High School’s Little Giant has been springing up and down among players 190 centimetres tall.”_ **

**He stops clapping and looks at the other. “Karasuno, is that the school in our neighbouring town? Pretty impressive.”**

Tanaka puffs his chest proudly. On the other side of Ennoshita, Kinoshita looks exasperated. _This isn’t even our generation_.

**Another boy comes to an abrupt stop behind the orange headed boy. “Sho-chan, hurry. They’ll take the court.”**

Tsukishima snickered. “Yeah, _Sho-chan_ ,” he said mockingly. 

Hinata bristled. “Shut up, _Tsukki_.”

“Oi.”

**‘Sho-chan’ is still in shock at the jump. “Karasuno…”**

**The screen flashes white again, and the outside of a gymnasium is shown. ‘Approximately 3 years and 3 months later.’**

“This is around a year ago,” Hinata clarified.

**The boy is now running down the stairs in a green uniform. He’s way in front of his friends, who are still at the top of the stairs. “Sho-chan wait up!”**

_Oh,_ Kageyama tensed. It was _this_ game. 

**‘Sho-chan’ walks into the gym and gasps. A wide view of the gym is shown, volleyball nets set up and other teams already warming up. “It’s huge!” He takes a deep breath. “The smell of Air Salonpas!”**

Tanaka laughed loudly. “You and Noya-san will get along great!”

**His friend from earlier speaks up, the rest of the team now having caught up with him. “Sho-chan, you’re too nervous.”**

**Another dark-haired boy adds, “They’ll think you’re a country hick.”**

**The orange-haired boy whips his head over to look at them. “B-but I’ve never been in a real tournament before,” He defends. He faces the gym again and tears up slightly, hands raised in fists. “Three years later and I’m finally here…”**

“He doesn’t even look scared or stressed,” Sugawara said in disbelief. “I was terrified for my first tournament.” Asahi nodded solemnly beside him.

**“It’s sure been a struggle to get here.” The dark-haired boy sighs.**

**Various teams are shown stretching, warming up and practicing. “Izumi, Koji,” ‘Sho-chan’ says without turning. He faces them, then, serious. “Thanks for being here as helpers.”**

**Both boys blush. “Stop it,” Koji grunts. Izumi scratches the back of his head, bashfully. “Our tournament’s already finished, so…”**

“Their tournament?” Daichi asked. “Were they part of another volleyball team?”

“Ah, no,” Hinata said, a bit sheepish. “Izumi plays basketball and Koji plays soccer. I kind of, um, annoyed them into playing with me.”

“Good on you, Shouyou!” Nishinoya gave him a thumbs up when the boy scratched his head. “That just proves how passionate you are about volleyball!”

“Th-thank you!” Hinata stuttered although he was clearly elated. 

“I remember this game,” Tanaka muttered to himself, and then snapped his fingers. “Right! Koji was the guy with the good footwork! I knew there was something off about him.” Hinata nodded in response, still a little flustered. 

**‘Sho-chan’ grips the shoulders of the other three boys present. “First-year students, you too, thanks! It’s a miracle the three of you are here.” He sounds like he’s on the brink of tears.**

Kageyama snorted, and Hinata was beginning to realize the downfall of being the center of attention.

**“Oh, yes.” One of the first-years stutters. “We’re total amateurs, but…”**

**“Don’t cry, Shouyou,” Koji calls out.**

**“I’m not crying!” The orange-haired boy says, offended.**

**“You’re super tearful,” Izumi adds.**

**“U-um, Hinata-senpai,” Hinata turns to the first year, “we should get started.”**

**“Come on, Captain. Get on the ball,” Izumi says.**

**Koji raises his hand. “That’s right. You dragged us here. We don’t even know the rules.”**

**Hinata turns to his friends. “I know that! We made it all the way to the tournament, we have to win.”**

_Win?_ Daichi blinked. _I admire the determination but… winning with players who don’t even know the rules?_ He met Sugawara’s shocked gaze. They already knew the outcome of this game, yes, but seeing it from someone else’s perspective was a whole new experience entirely.

**“What?” The tournament bracket is shown. “You think we can win with our last-minute team pick?” Izumi asks.**

**“Of course!”**

**“What’s our opponent Kitagawa Daiichi like?” Koji asks, and a team of people in blue and white walk past the board.**

Kageyama, who had somewhat forgotten the tension from earlier, narrowed his eyes at the sight of his old team. Hinata noted his change in demeanour but said nothing for fear of his own safety.

**“I don’t know. But,” Hinata makes a fist, “We’re going to do it.”**

**Izumi sighs, smiling. A moment later, he and Koji gasp fearfully. Hinata is confused, but behind him, the blue and white team walk up, and the height difference is clear. Hinata turns, looks up, and cringes out loud. A tall boy with interestingly spiked hair looks down, a shadow on his face.**

**“Whoops sorry!”**

**“Come on,” Izumi and Koji yank Hinata back to their team. The others walk by, indifferent.** **_They’re huge,_ ** **Koji thinks.**

**The last player walks by, and for a second, he wears a red cloak with a fur lining, like royalty. Everything else fades out and Hinata’s eyes follow his movements. The taller, black-haired boy walks away entirely, and Hinata stares at his back before a cheer startles his team.**

Kageyama scowled. “What the hell, dumbass?” He asked, and Hinata flinched away even though he knew it was coming. “You didn’t even know me - why am I wearing a stupid cloak?

“I-I’m seeing it like this for the first time too, Bakageyama!” He said this in his defence, but he knew it was a lie. Even if he didn’t know of Kageyama’s kingly status yet, there was something about his aura the first time they met...

 **“What the…” They run forwards and turn to see a large section of the crowd in blue and white. The banner in front reads** **_Victory: Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High School._ **

**“Kita-Ichi! Kita-Ichi!”**

**Two coaches look up, a little nervous. “It’s Kitagawa Daiichi,” one says. “They’re huge,” the other coach responds. Another team looks on, stressed.**

**“They’re so intimidating.” His teammate speaks up. “They’re candidates to win.”**

**Two coaches are also talking amongst themselves. “The ‘King’ is among them.”**

A grin spread across Tsukishima’s face, and if possible, Kageyama’s scowl deepened. Sugawara and Daichi looked on nervously, hoping another fight wouldn’t break out.

**“Who’s that?”**

**“Don’t you know? It’s Kageyama Tobio. They call him the ‘King of the Court.’ He’s an amazing setter.”**

“Who?” Asahi asked. It was an innocent enough question since he and Nishinoya weren’t familiar with the first years, but the look his fellow third-years gave him told him he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life. 

“Oh?” Tsukishima started, and Sugawara leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. “You aren’t familiar with the King yet?”

“Tsukishima,” Daichi warned, seeing the murderous look on Kageyama’s face. 

Of course, he was ignored. “I’m sure you would’ve been acquainted soon, since our very own Kageyama Tobio,” who smacked his hand away when Tsukishima tried to gesture to him, “makes sure we never forget his title. What with his kingly tosses and royally _shitty atti_ -”

“Wasn’t your captain trying to say something?” Tanaka interrupted, an intimidating look on his face. Tsukishima frowned but shut up anyway, leaning back in his seat. As usual, when someone starts mentioning the word ‘King,’ Kageyama didn’t defend himself, fuming silently. 

Daichi sighed, crossing his arms. “Just don’t pick fights,” he told his kouhai pointedly. Yamaguchi bowed in apology for his friend while Tsukishima rolled his eyes. 

Sugawara leaned over to whisper in Asahi’s ear, “Kageyama, the first year with black hair, was referred to as the ‘King of the Court’ in junior high. But the nickname came from his old teammates and it’s anything less than flattering, so don’t say anything or he’ll kill you with his glare. Got it?” Asahi blinked and then nodded once. 

“Um,” Ennoshita spoke up, and the rest of the team suddenly noticed that the screen had paused mid-scene. Yukio glanced over at the team without moving from her position. 

“You done?”

Yamaguchi blushed and bowed once more to Yukio, Kinoshita and Narita following his example. “Yes - yes we’re sorry!”

Yukio smiled softly, closed her eyes once more, and the show continued. 

**Hinata and his teammates look terrified, hearing all this. “We’re playing against those guys?” Hinata flops forward as Koji points. “What’s this ‘King’ stuff?”**

**“Don’t worry about it!” Hinata shouts back. “Who cares how lanky they are?! I’ll shoot past them.” He looks determined, making his hand into a fist.**

“Lanky?” Kageyama asked. He was still a bit miffed by the whole ‘King’ talk, so it was an honest question, but Hinata jumped as if he’d been burned. 

“N-no! Well, yes! But only because you guys were taller than I was used to! O-or your team! Not you!” Hinata closed his eyes and awaited the blow.

Kageyama stared at him. Then he scoffed and turned away. “Dumbass.”

**“That’s right,” Izumi jumps in. “Sho-chan’s jump is amazing.”**

**“We’re counting on you!” Koji adds.**

**Hinata’s face drops suddenly and he leans forward, holding his stomach. “But first, the bathroom…” He walks off, and his teammates are floored.**

“Not scared or stressed, hm?” Daichi asked Sugawara, who hid his chuckle behind his hand. 

**The scene cuts to a student on the Kitagawa Daiichi team filling his water bottle. “I never even heard of Yukigaoka Junior High,” he’s saying.**

**“They’re small in number it seems,” one of his two companions comments. “They don’t even have a libero.”**

**“They’re the height of elementary school kids,” the other says, scoffing slightly.**

**“They’re no match for us.”**

Sugawara stopped laughing and frowned at the poor sportsmanship of the players. A vein bulged in Tanaka’s forehead and he rolled up his sleeves. “Hey, Kageyama, you remember these punks?”

Kageyama thought for a minute. “No. They weren’t essential to scoring points, so I couldn’t bother myself to remember their names.”

Nishinoya blinked. _Harsh._

**“Hey, dudes.” The three players jump, spinning around. Hinata stands in front of the bathroom door, back still bent as he cradles his stomach. “Don’t underestimate us.” He interrupts himself with a groan. “Soon as my stomach settles, I’ll teach you guys a lesson, so be ready.” He’s still shaking, and he groans again, looking quite pitiful.**

Hinata winced. _I didn’t look very intimidating, did I?_

“You looked pretty stupid,” Kageyama commented offhandedly.

Hinata spluttered. “Sh-shut up!”

**The others stare at him for a moment, before breaking down into laughter. “Is this guy serious?”**

**“Yes, sir. We’ll be ready!”**

**“Elementary school,” one whispers.**

**“He’s got the captain label on him.”**

“Stand your ground, my kouhai!” Tanaka shouted, raising his fist in the air before Ennoshita leaned over and smacked it down.

 **_Making fun of me…_ ** **Hinata watches, angry but still in pain.**

**“Hey, second-year.”**

**Hinata looks over, and once more, the screen is blank except for him, and the other player in his billowing cloak, now also donning a king’s crown. Hinata gasps.**

Kiyoko tilted her head a little, eyes glinting behind her glasses. ‘King of the Court’ was supposed to be such an awful nickname but… the aesthetics of it were really quite beautiful.

**The ‘King of the Court,’ Kageyama Tobio, glares at his underclassmen. “It’s time for the official warm-up. Hurry it up.”**

**“I’m sorry, right way.” One of them stutters.**

**“Bad news, it’s Kageyama-senpai,” one of them whines.**

Nishinoya glanced over at Kageyama from the corner of his eye. He would _hate_ to be called senpai in such an unpleasant tone but… Kageyama watched the screen with a blank look. He didn’t even flinch!

**Hinata stares at Kageyama. When he turns his glare to him, Hinata flinches.**

**“Hurry up, two more energy drinks!” Kageyama begins to walk away as his teammates scramble. “We don’t need to drink that much. Just look at our opponent.” Hinata gasps in offense.**

**Kageyama stops walking. “That’s for sure,” one of them giggles.**

**“What did you say?” Hinata hisses.**

Tanaka growled once more. “That’s it-” he began but was cut off by onscreen Kageyama.

**“You guys,” Kageyama starts, still facing away. “You’re not even on the bench. You think you’re good enough to look down on your opponent?” The three jump. Kageyama finally turns his head, glare sharp and terrifying. “Don’t ride the coattails of your school’s reputation.”**

**“S-Sorry!” His underclassmen apologize, quickly running past him.**

“That works too, I guess,” Nishinoya muttered to Tanaka, who nodded in agreement.

 **Kageyama watches them go, and Hinata stares at him in shock.** **_Scary…_ ** **“I was going to tell them a thing or two myself, too,” he stands straight, feigning confidence. Kageyama turns his glare toward him more forcefully, and Hinata stammers, jumping back and still holding his stomach.**

**“You’re not even physically ready. Don’t talk big.” His voice is impassive as ever. “That’s why they look down on you.”**

**“What did you say?”**

**“What are you doing here, anyway? Making memories?”**

**Hinata frowns. “I came here to win. Nothing else.”**

**Kageyama walks toward him. “You make it sound so easy.”**

The team watched the two argue back and forth like a ping-pong match.

“At least they’ve calmed down, right?” Asahi whispered to Sugawara, who gave him an incredulous look.

“Have you seen them off the court?”

**“Sure, I’m not tall.” Hinata looks down for a moment. “But…” He faces him. “I can jump.” Kageyama’s eyebrows raise slightly, mildly interested. “You can’t assume we’ll lose, as long as we don’t give up-”**

**“‘Don’t give up.’” Kageyama interrupts, turning away abruptly. “That’s not as easy as it sounds,” he spits out.**

Yamaguchi put his head down as if Kageyama was speaking to him directly, and Tsukishima gave him a mildly interested glance. 

**“The six of us… the six of us can finally play volleyball on the court. The first game, second game…” Kageyama turns his head, barely. “We’ll win and keep winning.” Hinata looks up at him, determined. “We’re going to give it our all!”**

**Kageyama’s face is shadowed. “The first game, second game,” he spins to face Hinata. “The playoffs, the nationals…” The background turns white, and it’s only the two facing each other. “I’m going to win them all.”**

_Hinata said ‘we,’ but Kageyama said ‘I.’_ Daichi frowned. _I know Kageyama’s changed since then, but I can’t help but be concerned..._

**It focuses on their eyes, as they glare at each other.**

**Kageyama ‘hmphs’ and walks away.**

**Izumi, hidden around the corner, watches Kageyama stalk off. “Sho-chan,” he complains, running to Hinata when the coast is clear.**

**“Izumi.”**

**“Why are you making that scary guy mad?” Izumi skids to a stop. “Weren’t you going to the bathroom?”**

**“Let’s get back, hurry,” Hinata disregards, running past him.**

**“How’s your stomach ache?”**

**“It’s all gone.”**

**“Huh?”**

**A ball flies through the air, and Kageyama sets it cleanly to the spiky-haired kid from earlier.** **_Crap._ ** **Hinata glares.** **_He’s good for real._ ** **“He’s a setter,” Izumi comments, and behind him, Koji messes up a receive.**

**“That’s him, the so-called ‘King of the Court,’ Kageyama Tobio,” Koji mumbles. “By the way, what’s a ‘setter?’”**

Kageyama rolled his eyes. They didn’t even know the most integral player of the team? It’s no wonder they lost.

**A cartoonish scene plays out of Koji receiving the ball and sending it to Izumi, who sets it to Hinata, who spikes. “That’s the offensive position that tosses the ball. We studied it, remember?”**

**“We did?”**

“What a cute cartoon!” Sugawara gasped. “Is this how you see things in your head, Hinata?”

“Not really,” Hinata answered. “I mean it’s cool and all but I don’t remember ever thinking of it like this…”

“Maybe Yukio thinks like this?” Yamaguchi wondered. He cast a quick glance over at the other high schooler. _I still don’t really know how she knows all this..._

**Kageyama sends a spike to his teammate, who barely manages to hit it over. “Your timing is slow,” Kageyema growls. “‘Come in faster for the quick,’ I told you.”**

**“My bad,” His teammate mutters, looking away.**

**“Kageyama,” his coach steps forward and Kageyama turns. “Don’t focus on speed alone. What matters is not your own skills, it’s how you let the spiker hit the ball.”**

**“I know that,” Kageyama grumbles, walking away.**

“That’s some attitude,” Nishinoya muttered. “I mean it looks like he has the skills to back it up but still.”

Tanaka sighed. “You have no idea,” he responded, leaning back in his seat with his arms behind his head. 

**The whistle blows, and the two teams stand across from each other. The camera pans from Kitagawa Daiichi to Yukigaoka, who has significantly fewer players, and the camera has to angle lower to get them all in the frame. Kitagawa Daiichi looks calm and ready, whereas everyone on Yukigaoka sans Hinata looks terrified.**

**_This is it._ ** **Hinata is smiling.** **_It’s finally about to start._ **

Tanaka quickly sat up again, his teammates following his lead. As if they were about to play their own game, the anticipation got to them. 

**“Let’s play!” They all shout.**

**“Our opponents sure are short,” #6 on Kitagawa Daiichi comments once both teams are in position.**

**“Koji. Your back number. Show your back number.”**

**“Huh?”**

Tanaka couldn’t help but snicker, and Hinata blushed for his friend. 

**The referee signals Kitagawa Daiichi to serve. The ball goes over cleanly. “Koji!” Hinata turns to his friend, but Koji misses the receive entirely, stumbling forward as the point is called for Kitagawa Daiichi.**

“Don’t mind, don’t mind,” Nishinoya muttered, and Ennoshita looked at him from the corner of his eye. 

**“Sorry,” Koji blushes slightly.**

**Hinata claps his hands together, still smiling brightly. “Don’t worry about it.”**

**“Nice serve!” #6 serves again, and two players go for the receive, but they both stop to avoid running into each other. The point is called for Kitagawa Daiichi again.**

**“Oh man, they probably won’t score a point,” one of the scorekeepers sighs.**

**“Fine by me. It’ll be over quicker.”**

**“That’s a fact.”**

_Even the scorekeepers have no hope for them…_ Sugawara winced. 

**Hinata pats his team on the shoulders, looking unconcerned. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Let’s do better next round.”**

**“Uh, yeah,” Koji replies.**

**_We finally got here._ ** **Hinata turns, looking determined.** **_We won’t let it end so easy._ **

**There’s a flash, and a smaller Hinata is talking to his teacher.** **_“What? I’m the only club member?”_ **

“There are even flashbacks! This is sick Yuki-” Ennoshita gave a glare and Nishinoya shrunk back into his seat. _Don’t distract her._

Tanaka snorted at the encounter, but then did a double-take. “Wait, the only member?”

**_“Yeah,” the teacher sits down. “The club members got less and less every year. Plus, boys’ volleyball isn’t a club activity. It’s just a fan club.”_ **

“A what?!” He yelled again, and even Ennoshita frowned. 

**_“Oh…”_ **

**_“What do you want to do? Change to another club? Or do you want to join the girls team?”_ **

**_“Well, no…” Hinata stutters._ **

Tanaka and Nishinoya sighed. _A boy can only dream._

**_“I’ll be a one-man team then.”_ **

**_“Is that right?”_ **

**_Hinata clenches his hands, looking up at nothing. “I’m going to be the Little Giant.”_ **

**_A few teachers lookup. “You’re going to be the what?”_ **

**In the present time, the ball flies forward in another serve and the Yukigaoka player moves out of the way, thinking it’s out. The referee calls it in. Another point for Kitagawa Daiichi.**

**In a different flashback, the ball flies toward a girls’ volleyball team, and it’s received cleanly.** **_“Nice serve.”_ **

**_In the background, Hinata is practicing by himself in the corner. He throws the ball at the wall and when it bounces back, attempts a spike. He misses the first time. “Here…” he mutters and then jumps up. He hits the ball squarely, and his hand comes back red._ **

“Nice kill,” Daichi said, just loud enough for Hinata to hear. The boy beamed. 

**_“Gather round!” The girls’ team huddles. “Let’s go for a run.” “Okay!”_ **

**_Hinata turns, smiling._ ** **My chance** **_. “Izumi!” He picks up the ball and runs to his friend in another corner of the gym. “You’re taking a break right? Toss for me.”_ **

**_“‘Toss?’” Izumi asks, some of his basketball teammates paying attention._ **

**_“I want to spike the ball!”_ **

**_“I can’t. I don’t know how.”_ **

**_“You just toss it up,” Hinata responds quickly, gesturing himself. “That’s all you have to do.”_ **

**_“I can’t,” Izumi repeats. “Senpai’s watching.”_ **

**_“Gather up!” Someone yells, and Izumi stands up with his team._ **

**_“Right!” They all run off, and Hinata lowers the ball._ **

_No one to toss to him…_ Kageyama’s lips curled downwards. 

**In the current match, the ball is finally received, but Izumi jumps back into the net when he tries to set it. That’s 5 points for Kitagawa Daiichi.**

**_“Hey, Hinata.” The boy himself sits at his desk with two classmates in front of him. “I heard you’re on the girls’ volleyball team.”_ **

**_Hinata chokes and the other classmate laughs. “Are you serious?”_ **

**_“N-no, I’m not,” Hinata defends, blushing._ **

**_“Who are you after?”_ **

**_“There’s a foxy third-year senpai.”_ **

**_Hinata starts, then looks away. “There is a foxy senpai, but…”_ **

“Look at our disciple,” Tanaka sighed, wiping a fake tear away.

Nishinoya nodded with him. “I’m already so proud,” he gripped his shirt, and the two were completely oblivious to Hinata’s light pink colour and Daichi’s glare behind them.

**_“I knew it.”_ **

**_“You got it wrong,” Hinata exclaims. “I’m the boys’ volleyball team.”_ **

**The spiky-haired boy on Kitagawa Daiichi spikes through the block. The whistle blows again. Cheers ring through the stands.**

**_“You can’t even enter a tournament,” Koji is saying, sitting criss-cross with a soccer ball in his lap. Behind him, Hinata bounces the ball on his forearms. “What drives you to practice?”_ **

**_“I’ll enter a tournament. Eventually.” He catches the ball and looks forward, where they’re sitting in front of the soccer field. “I’ll get a team together, though I’m striking out for now. But I will, you’ll see.” Koji grunts and Hinata takes a big hop toward him. “How about you, Koji?”_ **

**_“How many times must I turn you down?”_ **

**Current Koji slides forward in an attempt to save the ball but crashes into the wall instead. Point for Kitagawa Daiichi.**

**_Hinata spikes the ball against the wall by himself, repeatedly, as Izumi walks by._ **

**_“Hey, Izumi!” He startles. “Can you spare just a little time?”_ **

**_“I have after-school class today, sorry.” Izumi quickly runs away._ **

“Well that was rude,” Sugawara huffed. Asahi nodded with him, glancing down at his kouhai to make sure he wasn’t too affected. 

**The whistle blows, the ref signalling the point to Kitagawa Daiichi. “I’m sorry,” Izumi says meekly.**

**“Lucky, lucky.” Kageyama’s team is high-fiving behind him, but he watches Hinata attentively.**

**Younger Hinata tosses the ball to himself.** **_“Watch out!” He turns, only to get a face full of soccer ball._ **

“Hinata!” Daichi gasped, springing forward in his seat. Sugawara giggled behind his hand.

“He’s right there Daichi,” he whispered, pointing down at Hinata. He was glaring heavily at Kageyama, who appeared to be silently judging him for getting hit in the face. “This was in the past, remember?”

Daichi rolled his eyes. “I know that,” he stated, though he was fighting a blush.

**_Koji runs to him as he goes down. “Shouyou, are you all right?”_ **

**_“Ouch…” Hinata covers his face._ **

**_“My bad.” Koji rubs the back of his head._ **

**_Just as quickly as we went down, Hinata sits back up, looking too happy for the big red spot in between his eyes. “Toss for me then.” He smiles._ **

_What a mood change,_ Tsukishima thought to himself. Then he scowled. _How annoying._

 **Another serve from Kitagawa Daiichi, but Koji looks more determined.** **_I got it this time…_ ** **The ball misses his arms and hits his face instead, sending him backwards. But, the ball is up. “Koji,” Hinata shouts. “Izumi!”**

 **The ball sails forward, but the scene changes and younger Izumi catches it, forearms bruised.** **_“Hey, haven’t you had enough? My arms hurt. I can’t shoot the ball accurately. I’ve had it.”_ **

**_Hinata slaps his hands together, pleading. “Please. Just one more.” Behind him, Koji sits on the stairs. “First-year students agreed to join me.”_ **

**_“You keep saying ‘one more,’” Izumi complains. “This is the last one, okay?”_ **

**_“Got it!”_ **

**_“Here goes.” Izumi tosses the ball and then hits it up with his forearms. It’s wildly off. “Oh, sorry.”_ **

**_But then, Hinata is taking off up toward the ball. Izumi watches, in slight awe, as Hinata’s shadow falls over him. The angle changes, and Hinata looks like he’s soaring above the ground, arms ready to hit the toss._ **

Asahi’s eyes widened, gaping silently, but Nishinoya loudly spit out, “What the fu-”

**The ball is flying toward Izumi again, on the court, and he gets ready to set it. “Go, Sho-chan!”**

**The set is high, but Hinata just looks excited.** **_Sure, I’m little, but my legs can jump… over any wall._ ** **He jumps, just as high as before, and Kageyama’s eyes widen.**

Sugawara and Daichi shook their heads. Despite seeing the jump quite often now, it was still astounding. 

**When Hinata hits the ball, however, it slams straight into the block and back onto their side of the court.**

**“All right!”**

_And no libero to try to block-follow…_ “Don’t-”

“Nishinoya, you know he can’t hear us, right? And that this is in the past?”

Ennoshita raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Nishinoya - Narita, Kinoshita, and Tanaka trying to hold in their laughs at Nishinoya’s childish ‘hmph!’

**Hinata’s eyes lose their shine for a moment, shocked. “Sho-chan, don’t worry about it,” Izumi calls over the cheers. Hinata’s head raises.**

**“We’ll toss it for you again,” Koji adds.**

**“S-sorry,” Hinata stutters, turning toward them. “That was a good toss, too…” His hand clenches by his side, and his eyes whip to the other team. “I’ll get it in next time.”**

**Kageyama is staring right back.**

**The scene changes. Hinata jumps upward to block Kageyama, but he sets to #5, who once again hits it right over the two-person block. The whistle blows, and the scorekeepers give a point to Kitagawa Daiichi. The score now reads 7-21 for Kitagawa Daiichi. “Wow, that number 5 is a powerhouse,” One comments.**

**“Yukigaoka is sneaking a few points in, in the second set,” The other replies, looking at the score.**

**“Thanks to their opponent’s misses.”**

Asahi winced at the score and the scorekeeper's words. And this was the second set? He knew his fellow third years and Tanaka saw this game in person, but he doesn’t think he would’ve had to see it to know the outcome.

**“It’s up!”**

**The scorekeepers are startled out of their conversation by Koji’s shout. “Sho-chan!” Izumi calls, setting to Hinata. He jumps, but the blockers are there like a wall, waiting for him.** **_This is bad…_ ** **The hands loom over ominously.** **_I can’t see the other side at all._ ** **Unsurprisingly, the ball hits the block and bounces to their court again.**

**The whistle blows, and the scorekeeper is sighing. “The opponents are totally seeing through their plays.”**

**“Shame,” the other replies, and the two actually look affected. “That guy’s got amazing jumping power.”**

**Koji pats Hinata on the back encouragingly. “Shouyou, let’s do this.”**

**“Sho-chan, don’t worry,” Izumi says, just as determined.**

“Well, I’m glad they’ve had a change in heart,” Sugawara declared. Tanaka turned around to look at Hinata and grinned. 

“Any chance we can convert them?” He asked, and Hinata laughed but gave no response. _Not after this game..._

**In the next play, Kageyama sets to #5, but it’s too quick for him, and he barely manages to hit it over. The point goes to Kitagawa Daiichi again. “Close call,” #5 breathes.**

**“Faster!” Kageyama shouts, walking away.**

Tanaka gave Nishinoya a knowing look as he raised an eyebrow at the yell. 

**#5 huffs. “Nice,” #6 tells him, stepping closer to lean in.**

**“Reckless tosses today, as usual,” #5 grumbles.**

**“I know. The opponents can’t even block; what’s the point? What’s he so serious about?”**

**Kageyama hears and whips his head toward them angrily. “When will you guys get serious then?” He yells.**

“In the middle of the game, man?” Nishinoya had to say, giving Kageyama a side glance. The boy didn’t meet his eyes and looked down and away, avoiding any of his teammates. 

“I see it, now,” he mumbled, but it was too quiet to be heard and everyone turned their attention back to screen. 

**Another player comes up and raises his arm to stop Kageyama. “Stop it. We’re in a game.”**

**“Scary,” one of the scorekeepers sighs. “Kita-Ichi’s setter is good, but it’s like he’s playing out there all by himself.”**

Face already turned away, Kageyama didn’t try to hide his frown. 

**It’s #6’s serve again. “All right,” a Yukigaoka player calls, but the receive is off and goes flying backward. Hinata chases after it.**

**“Service ace again,” #6 says, casually running forward.**

**“Not yet,” Kageyama responds.**

**“He won’t get that.”**

**Hinata runs to the ball.** **_It hasn’t dropped yet. Not yet._ ** **He dives but it’s centimetres too far. The whistle blows. The momentum of the slide carries him, and he rolls into the wall, the ball landing beside him.**

Daichi winced at the impact, again, but now said nothing with Sugawara smirking lightly beside him, knowing. 

**“Sho-chan!” Izumi exclaims.**

**“Wow. Looks painful,” #5 comments.**

**“He’s trying hard,” #6 hums.**

“They seem important - they’re the only others on the team that keep reappearing,” Yamaguchi said, mostly to himself, but Sugawara heard. 

“You’re right,” he nodded and turned to his fellow setter. “Do you remember their names, Kageyama?”

Kageyama’s lips were stuck in an almost permanent frown. How could he forget? “Number 5 is Kindaichi Yuutarou, number 6 is Kunimi Akira,” he replied, to the point and with no extra information.

**The scorekeeper adds a point, bringing it to 7-24 for Kitagawa Daiichi. “One more point and it’s curtains for Yukigaoka.” “Yeah.”**

**“Damn it…” Hinata groans, slowly lifting his head.**

**“Excuse me, um… I…”**

**“Sorry. I’ll get the next one,” Hinata smiles.**

**“Um!” Both Izumi and Koji look at their underclassman, confused. “We don’t want to get injured. We’re out of their league to begin with…”**

“I’ve seen worse than that crash,” Tanaka said, almost in disbelief. “And they _want_ to play volleyball?”

**“One more, same way,” Kageyama is saying to Kunimi.**

**“Why must you do this?” The younger boy finishes.**

**“Um…” Kageyama looks over as Hinata responds. “What? Huh?” Hinata rubs the back of his head. “I don’t know what you mean. But…” His eye glints, and then he stares into the eyes of the younger, upper half of his face hidden in a shadow. “We haven’t lost yet.”**

**The underclassman is shocked, looking more than a little scared. Kageyama, listening, is also taken aback.**

Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. This first year was almost recreating the ‘intimidating’ look she’d seen Tanaka wear so many times. Tanaka himself looked proud, and Yamaguchi was shivering while Daichi muttered, “What the hell…”

 **_That’s right._ ** **Kageyama thinks as he gets ready to serve.** **_It’s simple. No matter how challenging the volley, there’s only one reason we chase the ball._ ** **The ball heads toward Hinata, who receives it a little rough. “Koji!”**

 **_The ball hasn’t hit the court yet._ ** **Hinata thinks to himself. Koji gets it up with a kick, sliding. “Sho-chan!”**

 _They’re finishing each other’s thoughts._ Ennoshita blinked. Just what kind of connection did these first years _have_?

 **_There’s only one reason we continue fighting,_ ** **Kageyama continues. Hinata runs up for the spike, jumping, and the screen splits to show both of their determined faces.** **_Because,_ ** **it’s both their voices,** **_we haven’t lost yet._ **

The mood shifted slightly around the team. It was a thought that had gone through their heads quite a few times before, and, despite some of them knowing the outcome, they suddenly held more hope for their short first year. Nishinoya, still becoming acquainted with his kouhai, gained a little more respect for Kageyama, too. 

_He doesn’t put less effort in even when it looks like the game is theirs,_ Nishinoya grinned approvingly. _We can work with that._

**The ball hits the tip of Kindaichi’s fingers, redirecting its course. “One-touch!” He shouts.**

**“You touched it!”**

“Why do you sound so surprised,” Tanaka snickered, and Kageyama blushed, frown fading slightly.

**Kageyama turns around. “Cover it!”**

**Kunimi goes after the ball, but he’s slow and barely running.** **_I can’t do this…_ ** **he’s thinking, face impassive. Expectedly, the ball hits the ground more than a meter away from him. The whistle blows. Point for Yukigaoka. “Score!” Hinata shouts. The scorekeepers actually look excited, bringing Yukigaoka to 8.**

“Go Shouyou!” Nishinoya cheered, raising his arms. 

**“Don’t give up on the ball!”**

The team is startled by the shout.

**Kageyama is glaring at Kunimi. “M-my bad,” he responds, looking away.**

**“We haven’t won yet. You can’t let down your guard.”**

**“I know, but look at the points. Not unless a miracle happens…”**

**“That last point was no miracle,” Kageyama says lowly. “He scored a genuine point.” He raises his hand slowly and then points straight at Hinata. “That guy. He scored a genuine point.”**

While the rest of the team is a little stunned by the statement, Hinata furrowed his brows. He remembered that happening in the game, but he’s still not sure what to make of it. Even now, he doesn’t know what to say. What does he respond? _Does_ one even respond? At all?

He snuck a glance up at Kageyama beside him, but he looked as stone-faced as ever. Hinata huffed. 

**Hinata watches, face hard as Kunimi tries to respond. “Well, sure, but…”**

**Kageyama remembers the conversation in the hallway. “As long as we don’t give up…” Hinata’s saying.**

Hinata straightened, hiding a grin.

**It’s Yukigaoka’s serve, and it’s underhanded. It comes up almost too short, hitting the net and bouncing to Kitagawa Daiichi’s side. “It’s in the net!” Someone shouts. “It’s dropping, forward, forward!” Kindaichi barely saves it, hitting it over to the other side.**

Everyone sat forward in their seats, remembering how Kitagawa Daiichi was at match point. “Chance ball,” Nishinoya muttered, and Ennoshita didn’t even look at him.

**Yukigaoka scrambles to get the ball. “All right, Sho-chan, we’re counting on you,” Izumi says, but the toss goes backward instead of forward, and Izumi’s face drops.**

Sugawara sighed, remembering his first days as a setter. 

**_Toss miss?_ ** **Kageyama wonders. The referee is still.** **_There was no double hit. But there was no one there…_ **

**Then, something orange and green flashes before him, leaving white in its wake. The ball falls near the other side, where there’s seemingly no one, but then, Hinata is there. He’s already jumped, ready to hit in the blink of an eye. Kageyama gasps, eyes following. Then he’s running with the other blockers, thinking,** **_We should’ve been on the left. We had it marked. So why…_ ** **His hand reaches out as he jumps.** **_Why is he here?_ **

Tanaka and Nishinoya are trembling in their seats, and Daichi and Asahi are giving them unimpressed looks behind them. _He already knows the outcome of the game..._

**Hinata hits it as Kunimi dives, the ball just missing his hand. Hinata goes rolling once more, but this time there’s no wall to stop him. He slams through the sidelines, flopping down harshly. “Sho-chan!” Izumi shouts.**

It was Sugawara’s turn to wince this time, remembering how rough that looked even from the audience.

**“You there, are you all right?” An adult comes forward, concerned, but Hinata just looks straight at the referee. He raises his hands. The spot where the ball hit right next to Kunimi is highlighted.**

**_O-out?_ **

The third years contained their sighs, remembering that the one who _did_ win the match was also sitting in front of them. Nishinoya did not have this tact, earning him a smack on the head by Ennoshita. 

**The crowd erupts into cheers as Kitagawa Daiichi is given their last point, taking the game. Even the scorekeepers look a bit dejected. Koji and Izumi watch, sadly, as Hinata walks back with a shadow over his face. “Sho-chan, are you hurt?”**

**_This guy overwhelms me,_ ** **Kageyama thinks, glaring at Hinata through the net. The last play is shown again, starring Izumi’s set.** **_We only scored because their setter missed. He knew there was no back set,_ ** **again, Hinata is flying above the net in a flash,** **_yet he still hit the ball?_ **

**Kageyama’s missed block and Kunimi’s failed receive.** **_He was able to handle that toss?_ **

**Kageyama continues to glare at him. “Sho-chan. We have to line up,” Izumi says, softly. Hinata is frozen, head down.** **_High level of physical agility and reflexes._ ** **“Hey, Kageyama!” Kindaichi calls from the lineup. “What are you doing? Get in line!”** **_Finely tuned bodily control and his obsession with victory. He’s got it all._ **

Hinata gaped slightly. Were those… weirdly worded compliments? Tsukishima looked indifferent, but was also wondering, _is the King, dare I say,_ envious _?_

**Kageyama steps forward then, grabbing the net and staring at Hinata. “What were you doing for the last three years?” He spits, and Hinata shudders.**

Daichi leaned forward. They saw the confrontation from their seats, but now they would _hear_ it.

**“What did he say?” Koji growls, stepping forward before Izumi grabs his shoulders. “Stay out of it,” he pleads.**

**“What do you know about what he did for the last three years?” Koji continues, and Hinata’s hands ball into fists at his sides.**

**“What’s the point of telling him about that?” Izumi insists.**

**“Yeah, but…”**

**_My first and last official match of junior high…_ ** **Hinata thinks, gritting his teeth. “Boys, hurry up and get in line,” the referee calls. “Sho-chan, let’s line up,” Izumi whispers.**

 **_Our sets: zero._ ** **The scoreboard is shown. 8-25 for Kitagawa Daiichi in the second set.** **_Total game time: only 31 minutes._ ** **Koji, Izumi, and Kageyama head to their respective line ups. Hinata follows, but slower. Everything is blank, save for Kageyama’s running gait, Hinata’s slow walk, and the volleyball net.**

**“‘King of the Court,’ huh…” an unnamed voice comments. Three figures in black jackets watch the game from above.**

Nishinoya gasped. “Sugawara-san! It’s you!”

**“He’s going to be a difficult opponent when he starts high school,” another one of them thinks aloud.**

“And Daichi-san!”

**“My money’s on the little guy,” the last one puts in just before they exit.**

Nishinoya shook Tanaka by his shirt. “Ryuu-”

“We get it,” Narita and Kinoshita interrupted, but Nishinoya continued to look awestruck.

**The outside of the gymnasium is shown once more, the same staircase from earlier. Hinata walks to the top of it, face still mostly hidden, and Koji and Izumi exchange glances behind him.**

**“What did you expect?” Koji says, walking up behind Hinata. “They’re candidates for the nationals.” With his hands behind his hands, he sees their previous opponents exiting from below.**

**“Man, I’m hungry.” One is saying.**

**“You’re always hungry.” Another replies.**

_For one team, it marks the end of a journey. For another, it can be just another win._ It didn’t sit right with Yamaguchi, how casual the other team was acting. But it would always be like that, he supposed. It was only different because they knew Hinata’s story.

The thought still didn’t comfort him.

**Kageyama is sifting through his own bag at the front. Koji watches them and Izumi looks at Hinata, concerned. “It doesn’t matter if they’re strong or weak,” Hinata speaks up, suddenly. He looks up, facing the sky. “The bottom line is whether we win or lose, and if we lose, we’re off the court for good.”**

**He stops. Then he takes a deep breath, looking determined, and runs down the first set of stairs.**

**“Sho-chan!”**

**“Shouyou!”**

**“You…” Kageyama turns, somehow knowing he is being addressed. Hinata stands on the staircase, hair covering his eyes. “If you’re the King that rules the court,” tears begin to fall, and he pauses before looking up, eyes shining. “I’ll have to defeat you,” he brings his hand to his chest, “and I’ll be the last one standing!”**

The words and tears resonated with the team. Sugawara sighed, quietly, leaning back in his seat. _The start of the rivalry to end all rivalries,_ he mused, and Daichi gave him a resigned look. There was really no hope to stop the fighting, then.

**Kageyama blinks at him, then frowns, turning halfway as Hinata wipes his tears. “The last ones standing are the victors.” Kageyama states then faces him completely. “Only the strongest. If you want to be the last one standing, become strong.”**

Ennoshita glanced back at the first years. They weren’t even looking at each other, but Kageyama and Hinata suddenly looked 10x more determined - though determined for _what_ , considering their current situation, Ennoshita wasn’t sure. 

Tanaka whimpered quietly on the other side of Nishinoya. “I want a rival like that,” he said, almost teary-eyed, and Nishinoya nodded just as tearfully beside him. The other second years sweatdropped.

**The wind blows through their hair as they stare at each other. It’s silent, for a moment, and then Kageyama turns and walks after his team.**

**Izumi and Koji race down the stairs, coming to a stop behind Hinata, who still glares ahead.** **_What I’m lacking…_ **

**He turns around to his friends, and bows low. “Thank you for today.” They both flinch and then look away. Izumi has tears in his eyes, and Koji stutters out, “D-Dumbass. You don’t have to thank us.”**

**“Huh? Why are you crying Koji?”**

**“I’m not crying.”**

**The scene changes and Hinata is tying his running shoes. Then, he straightens and starts on his run. It cuts to Hinata bowing to the girls’ volleyball team, but this time, the three first-years are with him. The captain says something to them and they laugh, bashfully.**

**Another, older woman in a uniform smiles brightly at something Hinata has just done on the court, and she slaps him on the back. He coughs as he tries to pretend it didn’t hurt, and the two older women laugh at him.**

Asahi blinked, impressed at his determination and will to act on it. _He already worked so hard before, and now..._

 **He’s running again, now with a jacket, and then again, with a scarf, mitts, and a hat as it snows. His cheeks are red but he looks otherwise unbothered. Then, a flash of a sports article titled** **_Men’s Volleyball Prefectural Tournament. Kitagawa Daiichi. Bitterly Defeated._ ** **The picture is of Kageyama in the midst of setting a ball.**

Memories try to flood Kageyama at the picture onscreen and he looked down quickly, ignoring Sugawara’s sad glance now that he knew the story behind it. Asahi looked at Sugawara curiously, but Daichi waved a hand as if to say, ‘you’ll find out later.’

**Koji and Izumi watch, concerned, as Hinata almost falls asleep while studying at school. Then, he’s holding his diploma, watching Koji and Izumi walk away.**

**“See ya, Shouyou.”**

**“Take care, Sho-chan,” Izumi jumps.**

**Hinata watches them go, and cherry blossom leaves flutter in front of his face. He’s then on a bike, in a different season.** **_30-minute bike ride over the mountain._ ** **The bike rolls, then comes to a stop in front of a large building.** **_Starting today, Miyagi Prefectural Karasuno High School._ **

Nishinoya whispered loudly to Tanaka, “I gotta show up soon, right?” and Tanaka gave him a sympathetic shoulder pat.

**In the halls, there are many groups of people, all seemingly part of one club or another.**

**“Wanna join the soccer club?”**

**“Wanna get managed by the baseball club?”**

**Hinata weaves his way through the crowd, already in his uniform. “Here, the club applicants list,” A girl is saying, handing a paper over to a few tall individuals.**

“Kiyoko-san!” Tanaka and Nishinoya yelled in unison. 

“We get to see her twice as much, now,” Tanaka practically sobbed, just now coming to the realization. Nishinoya slammed a fist down onto his knee, and the third years sent their manager a pitying look as she held in a deep sigh.

**“Thank you,” one responds, taking the list. “So few… we used to have a lot more.”**

**“It’ll grow, Daichi,” another reassures, and you can hear the smile in his voice.**

**“Kiyoko-san, looking pretty today, as usual,” the third one exclaims, leaning forward. Kiyoko walks away without a word. “She turns me on when she ignores me,” the same male sighs, trembling as he wraps his arms around himself.**

Ignoring Tanaka’s antics, Sugawara nudged Daichi’s shoulder. “It won’t even show our faces,” he mused. “Are we really so mysterious?” Daichi chuckled.

 **A pair of doors slam open and Hinata runs to another building.** **_I’m here. I’m here at Karasuno._ ** **A volleyball bounces on a gym court.** **_I’m going to train a lot._ ** **Someone spins a volleyball in their hands, stopping it with one.**

 _The meeting, I presume._ Asahi winced in anticipation.

 **_And then, against that ‘King’..._ ** **The ball is thrown upwards, and Hinata runs toward the open gym door.**

**“I’ll get my revenge!”**

**He shouts as he lands with both feet on the gym floor. And then the screen is white, save for a dark-haired boy, in the same uniform as Hinata, who’s hands go flying behind him as he jumps up.**

**Hinata’s smile drops right off his face, and he stares, bewildered at the sight before him.**

Tanaka snorted at his look of almost terror, Ennoshita hiding a smile with him. 

**Kageyama is in mid-jump, about to hit his serve toss, when-**

**“Wh-why are you here?!” Hinata shouts, finger pointing accusingly.**

**Kageyama’s eyes widen and he stumbles forward, volleyball forgotten as he slowly turns his head to face Hinata, wearing the same expression. Hinata’s eyebrow twitches.**

**The volleyball drops back on Kageyama’s head and then bounces away. “Ow.”**

Nishinoya burst out laughing at the unfortunate event. Kageyama blushed, but still retained his scowl, reminded of all the irritation he felt when he saw Hinata in the Karasuno uniform.

Hinata seemed to share his sentiment, huffing and looking away.

In the seat slightly away from the group, Yukio blinked her eyes open and the screen went dark. She smiled at the team. “Well-”

“Yukio-chan!” Nishinoya shouted, jumping out of his seat and running over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook lightly, using his rare height advantage to look down on her with an excited smile. Tanaka appeared behind him, grinning as well. “That was so cool! I don’t know how you did it, with all those flashbacks and neat cartoons and awesome cut scenes and-”

“ _Oi._ ”

The two second years froze as Daichi materialized behind them. The captain pulled them away by the back of their jackets. “Yukio-san said it took some effort to project this for us, remember?” Daichi said, in such a sweet, calm voice it sent shivers down even Yukio’s spine. “Apologize for shaking her and thank her.”

“I’m sorry for being too rowdy,” Nishinoya said, bowing deeply with Tanaka and Yukio jumped a little. “Thank you for showing us such an awesome video,” he and Tanaka said at the same time.

“I-it’s really no problem,” she replied, tapping their shoulders so they would straighten. “I should be thanking you for letting me show _you_ , remember?”

In a flash they were meters away from her, leaning on each other for support and gripping their shirts.

“She’s short,” Nishinoya started.

“And pretty,” Tanaka added.

“And kind.”

“And humble.”

Yukio tilted her head at them. Daichi stepped into her field of vision as Ennoshita made his way over to deal with them. “Please forgive them,” he apologized again, and Yukio smiled.

“No problem. And projecting the episodes is significantly less tiring than showing you in your head, so I can still do a couple more. It’s only been 20 minutes, you know?”

Sugawara peered over Daichi’s shoulder. “How is time working around this whole thing, anyway?”

“Ah, it’s kind of confusing,” Yukio scratched the back of her head. “In one reality, you could be missing and everyone would be looking for you. In another, you don’t even exist. In the one I’ll send you back to, time is frozen until you decide to go back home.” Daichi furrowed his eyebrows slightly, and Yukio blushed. “I mentioned different worlds earlier, but see why I don’t really like explaining it?”

Her embarrassment was waved off when Hinata asked- “Wait, so can we keep on going?”

The small group was startled at his sudden appearance, but Yukio nodded. “You bet. We’re still in the past - just you wait for when I show you the future.”

Hinata jumped excitedly and turned to race back toward his seat. He hesitated, turned around, quickly bowed and shouted thanks, and then bounded back to his seat. “I still don’t know where he gets that energy,” Daichi muttered, and Sugawara laughed as he pushed him back toward their seats.

In a few moments, everyone was back to their original positions - Tanaka and Nishinoya sporting purpling bruises on their foreheads that matched the size of Ennoshita’s fist, but looking like they regret nothing. 

Yukio smiled at the group before closing her eyes, and the screen lit up once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo update schedule-wise, im kinda iffy. i would love to dish out a chapter a week but im probably gonna push it to every other week (because "script writing" and writer's block) so i hope that's okay! i'll always be trying to update before two weeks pass but after that u can start calling me out
> 
> bye for now!


	3. Episode 2: Karasuno High School Volleyball Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our protagonist finally arrives at Karasuno High School, and people are reminded of how unfortunate reacquaintances can be. Not to worry, though, the senpais are here to... help? Wait a minute - who's making an impact on who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha this is later than i thought it would be but it's here and that's what matters
> 
> because you know what's not
> 
> the haikyuu manga
> 
> sorry im super sad about it and jokes make it better >:') no spoilers bc i know some people are anime only but just,,, yeah
> 
> friendly reminder i dont own any rights related to Haikyuu!!

**A whistle blows. The score of the final set of the Yukigaoka VS Kitagawa Daiichi game is shown. 8-25 for Kitagawa Daiichi.**

Hinata frowned. This again?

 **Hinata stands by the net, face down and fists clenched as other matches and players run around him.** **_My first and last official match of junior high…_ ** **he thinks, trembling.** **_My team was defeated._ ** **The camera pans to face him straight on. Kageyama is on the other side of the net, walking away.** **_My opponent was the ‘King of the Court.’_ ** **He looks up, suddenly determined.** **_I’ll get my revenge against that ‘King!’_ **

Kageyama gave Hinata an irritated side glance - one Hinata dutifully ignored. 

**He turns around and the scene changes to his smiling face in the Karasuno gym uniform.** **_That’s what I pledged before starting Karasuno High School. But…_ ** **his face falls and he looks shocked to the bone.**

**Kageyama stands in the gym, just landed from his forgotten serve. “W…” Hinata starts. There’s a flash of Kageyama’s shoes. “W…” His shirt, inscripted with ‘Karasuno.’ “W…” Finally, Kageyama’s face is shown, looking indifferent. “Why is he here?!”**

“Kageyama doesn’t even look bothered,” Tanaka whispered, and Nishinoya snickered as he remembered the ball that had landed on his head moments earlier.

 **Students in uniform walk the grounds of Karasuno. The entrance to the gym is shown again.** ** _Why?_** **Kageyama and Hinata are still staring at each other inside.** ** _Why is this guy at Karasuno?_** **_Maybe he’s just a lookalike,_** **Hinata thinks desperately, eyebrows furrowed.**

 **There’s a flash of a terrifying view of Kageyama, scowling and looking down at someone.** **_“What are you doing here, anyway?”_ ** **He growls. A different angle, just as terrifying.** **_“You make it sound so easy.”_ ** **Another, this one somehow scarier.** **_“I’ll be the last one standing.”_ ** **Now it’s more zoomed in, focusing on his glare.** **_“What were you doing for the last three years?”_ **

Kageyama raised an eyebrow at how Hinata thought of him. He wasn’t really offended by it, but Hinata still actively avoided his gaze. Asahi almost shuddered in his seat - if this was him on-screen, what would it be like to face Kageyama’s wrath in person? 

“Oi,” Sugawara whispered, but it almost sounded like a hiss. “That’s your _kouhai_ you’re scared of if you forgot.” Even Daichi looked unimpressed and Asahi floundered. He _almost_ shuddered! How did they even know?

 **Hinata pushes away the frame.** **_No, no. There’s no mistake._ ** **The screen pans up Kageyama’s body, landing on his face.** **_This guy is Kageyama Tobio!_ **

**Kageyama stares at him, confused before it clicks. “I met you last year…” he says, more to himself. Then he speaks up. “But I don’t know your name.”**

Tanaka almost choked. “He’s so scared of him and Kageyama doesn’t even know his name,” he cackled. Hinata’s cheeks tinged pink as Nishinoya turned around and gave him a thumbs up.

“Don’t you worry, my kouhai! We’ll teach you how to make sure people never forget you!”

“R-Right!”

**Hinata stutters, looking indignant and then determined. “M-My name is Hinata Shouyou. You probably don’t remember the team you beat in the first match-!”**

**Kageyama interrupts. “I remember you very well.” Hinata looks shocked.** **_Your well-developed physical agility and reflexes..._ ** **Kageyama remembers Hinata’s astounding jump on the court.**

 _There he goes, giving me weird compliments again,_ Hinata sat up a little straighter.

 **_But he doesn’t put any of it to good use._ **

He deflated just as quickly.

**He clenches his fists and Hinata puts his hands up, ready. “What? You wanna fight?”**

**“You were lousy!” Kageyama declares.**

Tsukishima smirked at Hinata’s teary expression, Yamaguchi following suit with a giggle. Hinata debated how much trouble he would get into if he shook Yukio out of the trance so the embarrassment could stop.

**Hinata looks like he was just punched in the gut, but recovers quickly. “D-Don’t make fun of me. Sure, we got slaughtered by you guys.” There’s a closeup of his stubborn face. “Next time, I won’t lose!”**

**Kageyama looks stunned by the statement. But then Hinata points an accusing finger at him. “That’s what I pledged to myself, so what are you doing here? How can I defeat you if we’re on the same team? Shouldn’t you be at some other school with strong players? Why didn’t you go there?”**

**Kageyama stares at his ramble, but then frowns and turns away. “The strongest school in the prefecture…” Hinata gulps. Kageyama’s irritated face is shown with a shadow cast over it. “Rejected me,” he finishes.**

Tsukishima openly snickered at the statement while Kageyama sunk into his seat, his thoughts drifting dangerously close to Hinata’s. Ennoshita nodded slightly to himself. Skill-wise, Kageyama would’ve made it in without a second thought. But if his stubborn attitude even made its way onto the court, as they’d seen...

**Hinata deflates slightly, then tilts his head. “You didn’t make it? Even though you’re the King of the Court?”**

**Kageyama instantly grits his teeth. “Don’t…” he says lowly, camera zoomed in on his glare, then scowling face. “...call me that!”**

**“Huh?” Hinata looks taken aback.**

Sugawara and Daichi sent an indiscreet glance at Asahi, who wisely hid his flinch at Kageyama’s sneer and simply took a very long blink.

**“The first setter of Kitagawa is on our team?” There’s an unnamed voice in the background. Kageyama and Hinata’s argument is put on pause and they both turn to the door. “But the guy’s totally cocky.”**

Nishinoya smacked Tanaka’s arm repeatedly, Tanaka grinning widely, as Narita and Kinoshita exchanged exasperated looks.

**Three figures are walking past the clubrooms, dressed in black uniforms. “Don’t try and intimidate him, okay?” One of them responds.**

**“I-I wouldn’t do something like that,” the first voice defends.**

“Tanaka-san? Never,” Tsukishima drawled to Yamaguchi, just loud enough for Tanaka to hear. He bristled in response, but beside him, Ennoshita couldn’t even scold his kouhai for the sarcasm because he’s _right._

**“Hello,” Kageyama greets when they enter the gym. The backs of their jackets read ‘Karasuno High School Volleyball Club.’ Two of them are smiling politely, the one in the middle dark-haired and the other’s grey. The person closest to the camera is baring his teeth intimidatingly, haircut so short he looks almost bald.**

“That’s how you make a lasting impression, Shouyou!” Nishinoya grinned, smacking Tanaka on the back. Hinata’s eyes shone like he’d just seen a volleyball play he desperately wanted to try. Behind him, Daichi sighed. Excluding Nishinoya, there could _not_ be two of them.

**“Hey, hey, hey,” the intimidating one practically growls, stepping forward. “Who said you guys could-”**

**He’s cut off as the guy in the middle pulls him back by the collar of his jacket. “You’re Kageyama?” He asks calmly.**

Ennoshita nodded approvingly, ignoring Tanaka’s resigned “Hmph!”

**“Osu,” Kageyama nods.**

**“Glad you’re here,” he responds, as he and the grey-haired boy walk up to greet them properly.**

**Hinata hovers around them. “You’re quite tall,” the grey-haired one adds.**

**“He needs an initiation, Suga-san!” The bald one says, still scowling. Hinata sneaks around them, eyes wide as he studies his senpai. “Let’s give him a reason to be intimidated by us third-years!”**

“He’s a second-year,” Kinoshita deadpanned as Narita just shook his head.

Sugawara smiled amusingly as Hinata crab-walked around them. _It’s fun seeing things from another angle,_ he thought, _we get to see all the stuff we missed the first time._

**He bares his teeth again, more aggressively. “Tanaka, stop with that face,” the middle boy says, still calm.**

**_Kageyama is slightly taller,_ ** **Hinata thinks, watching them all from his angle.** **_But high-schoolers are kinda big…_ ** **He watches his dark-haired senior with a smile.** **_That’s right. I’m at Karasuno now. Alright…_ **

**“Osu!” He greets, standing up straighter.**

**No one notices.**

**“How tall are you?” The middle one asks Kageyama.**

“They can’t bother themselves to look down, I guess,” Tsukishima sighed, and then reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Can’t blame them,” he said as Yamaguchi hummed encouragingly, “it puts quite the strain on the neck.” Daichi frowned, a little too disappointed in himself to properly scold the first year.

**“180 cm.” Hinata gapes, saying something softer, but again goes ignored.**

**“Oh…” ‘Suga’ awes as Hinata continues to deflate.**

**Tanaka smirks, leaning forward. “What? You’re cocky!”**

Ennoshita looked done already, barely 4 minutes into the episode. “He just answered the question...” Narita muttered. 

**“Hello!”**

**The attention is turned to Hinata, who finally yells to be heard. He’s weirdly posed, hands balled into fists.**

**“Huh?” Tanaka makes a rather frightening face, pointing an accusing finger at Hinata. “Oh! You!” Hinata jumps. “Shorty #1!”**

Kageyama openly snorted at the nickname as Hinata gaped. “I didn’t even notice it at the time,” he complained.

**Sugawara and the other teammate make noises in understanding. “So the other applicant here, Hinata, is…” Daichi trails off, looking up at Hinata. “You? I’m a little surprised…” He smiles slightly. “I see. So both of you are here at Karasuno.”**

**Kageyama and Hinata still look a little lost. “Um…” Hinata starts.**

**“We saw your match last year,” Sugawara explains.**

**Tanaka is still grinning. “You’re way short and sucked bad, but you’ve got guts.”**

**“Thanks!” Hinata exclaims, and Sugawara smiles.**

“Two insults and a compliment,” Daichi shook his head. “Just like Tanaka.”

Asahi frowned. “Something about that ratio doesn’t sit right with me.”

**“Your jumps were awesome, too.”**

**“But you haven’t grown much since,” Tanaka teases, gesturing with his hand to prove his point.**

**Hinata struggles with his words but looks up, determined. “I may be little, but I can jump! I’ll be Karasuno’s ace!” Kageyama blinks, shocked, but then scowls.**

_Ace…?_ Asahi blinked. _That’s my position._ He looked away. _Or_ was _. Right. I’m not-_

“Hate to break it to you, Shouyou, but Karasuno’s already got an ace.”

Asahi turned his head to look at Nishinoya, eyes wide. Despite the video continuously moving in front of them, an impossible silence seemed to settle around the second and third years. Nishinoya hadn’t even turned around from his place at the front. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in the atmosphere.

“That’s fine!” Hinata said quickly, waving his hands in front of his face. Watching it now, without the adrenaline of meeting his future team members for the first time, the statement did seem a little… forward. He meant it, of course, but maybe that wasn’t the right time.

The tension in the room lightened like it had never changed.

**“Hey, hey,” Tanaka grunts. “The newbie says he’s gonna be the ace? You’ve got some nerve.” Hinata looks at him nervously.**

**Sugawara smiles. “It’s good to be ambitious, right?”**

**Hinata turns to him, beaming again. “I’ll do my best!”**

**“If you want to be the ace, I hope you’ve improved.” Hinata’s face drops slightly as Kageyama continues. “If you goof around, you’ll waste another three years.”**

**Hinata turns slowly, face cast in a shadow. “What did you say?”**

“Now why’d he have to go and say that?” Asahi wondered, already anticipating an altercation. Sugawara sighed.

“Kageyama just says what he believes no matter the consequence; knowing him, at least a bit, it probably would’ve killed him to _not_ say it.”

**“Why must you say that, Kageyama?” The dark-haired senior sighs as the two face each other off.**

**“I played with all my might,” Hinata spits. There’s a flash of the final score again. “But…” He trails off and looks down, frustrated. His old, makeshift team is shown, all smiling and excited. “But don’t tell me everything I’ve done is a waste!” He glares at Kageyama, who returns it full force.**

“Did I already say he’s being pretty harsh?” Nishinoya mumbled to no one, but Ennoshita nodded in agreement anyway.

**Daichi sighs again. “Guys… you know you’re not enemies anymore.” He tries to lighten the mood, smiling. “Volleyball is about teamwork-”**

**“I’ll challenge you,” Hinata declares.**

**Tanaka growls. “Hey! Daichi-san is still talking!”**

**“Challenge me to what?” Kageyama asks, still completely ignoring their senpai.**

**“Volleyball, what else?”**

**“How do you expect to challenge me one-on-one?”**

**“L-Like a passing contest!”**

Asahi cringed at the change in Daichi’s expression, fearing the worst.

**“How do you compete at passing?”**

**Slowly, Daichi’s smiling face escalates into one of irritation, eyes still shut. “Listen, damn it!” Tanaka yells.**

**“What’s the commotion, volleyball club?” A voice interrupts. The official club members all turn to look at the door. A short, chubby, older man with suspiciously out-of-place hair walks into the gym, face pursed.**

Nishinoya crossed his arms. “Oh. It’s that fatso.” 

Not a second later, he was rubbing an increasingly red spot on his head, Ennoshita’s hand still stretched out. “Don’t badmouth your superiors, Nishinoya-san,” he said calmly, a serene smile still in place. 

“You can’t tell me I’m wrong!” Nishinoya continued, sticking his free hand up in a fist, only for Kinoshita to smack it back down. “You would have a libero right now if it wasn’t for-” He hesitated. Tanaka gave him an odd look. 

“For… the dean?” He tried to finish. 

Asahi didn’t dare look down to the front row.

 _For two weeks, at least-_ “Yeah. The dean.”

**“Yikes. The dean!” Tanaka groans.**

**“Sensei,” Sugawara corrects in a whisper.**

**“Sensei,” Tanaka repeats.**

Sugawara sighed loudly at Tanaka’s attempt to correct himself, mainly in hopes of easing up the tension that hung dangerously close to igniting in the air. Narita let out a quiet snort.

**“You’d better not be fighting,” the dean continues, walking to the group.**

**“Of course not. Just a friendly rivalry,” Daichi assures. “Right?”**

**“This dean likes to make trouble, so keep it down,” Tanaka hisses.**

“Tanaka isn’t very good at whispering,” Kiyoko commented to Asahi, more as a fact than anything. Steam seemed to hiss out of Tanaka’s ears as he trembled. The first years recoiled slightly.

**Hinata and Kageyama are still completely unaware of the new arrival. “Serve! I’ll return them all,” Hinata states, pointing.**

**“Hey!”**

**“I was only able to get one of your serves last year,” Hinata tells him.** **_Right in the face…_ ** **he thinks but doesn’t say, remembering the hit. “But I’ve been training with all kinds of people** **_._ ** **” Scenes of those training sessions flash on the screen. “I’m not the same person as last year.”**

**Kageyama raises his head slightly. “Not the same as last year, huh?” He walks toward the ball. Picking it up, he raises it and points it at Hinata. He’s smirking, and there’s an intimidating shadow over his whole form. “I’m not the same as last year, either.”**

“Should I have any hope things won’t turn out as bad as I think they will?” Asahi asked Sugawara and Daichi.

Shadows casted over their faces. “Take any hope you do have,” Daichi started.

“And bury it six feet under,” Sugawara finished.

**“Now, now, guys,” Daichi insists. “Let’s not get carried away.”**

**“Is he a first-year student?” The dean asks, unimpressed.**

**_Relax,_ ** **Hinata tells himself, getting ready to receive.** **_Don’t be intimidated. Remember, you’ve trained at this with the old ladies!_ **

**Kageyama bounces the ball once. “Here goes.” He throws the ball up, and Hinata is taken aback.** ** _A jump serve?_** **_Last year he didn’t-_** **Kageyama hit the serve toss, and it’s emphasized just how** ** _hard_** **he hits it. Hinata gasps as it comes right for his face, moving out of the way so the ball hits the wall and floor, flying off with how hard the hit was.**

Tanaka shook his head, remembering that first serve. “Looks even crazier than I remember it. And that’s coming from me!” He laughed and elbowed Nishinoya in the bicep. “It’s a good thing I’m not our libero, huh Noya- eh? N-Noya-san!” He jerked his arm back like it had scorched him, which - with the look of pure fire in Nishinoya’s eyes - was entirely possible.

 _I_ need _to receive that,_ he laughed maniacally in his head, oblivious to the other second-years concerned pokes.

 **Hinata tumbles the floor, and all the volleyball players in the room gape a little. “I’m not sure** **_I_ ** **could’ve returned that one!” Tanaka is saying, as Hinata flounders.** **_None of the girl volleyball players or old ladies served like that!_ **

Despite Hinata basically saying he was a lot better than those old ladies, Kageyama scowled at even being _compared_ to them. Hinata looked at him from the corner of his eye, bewildered. _That was practically a compliment! Much better than his crappy excuses that just miss the insulting line, anyway. Is it even possible to wipe that stupid, scary look off of his face?_

**“How’s that different from last year?” Kageyama spits. Hinata blinks, but then his face hardens and he stands up, determined.**

**“One more.”**

**Daichi steps forward. “Hey. Enough is enough.”**

_Listen to Daichi, listen to Daichi, listen to Daichi,_ Asahi repeated in his head as if his chants could somehow go back in time and stop the whole fiasco. 

**“They don’t listen to their captain,” the dean observes. “This could be a problem.”**

**Kageyama hits another serve, toward the corner of the court this time, but Hinata is there in an instant. Kageyama grunts and Sugawara and Tanaka are shocked.** **_He has quick reflexes!_ ** **Sugawara thinks.** **_He’s right in front-_ ** **The ball seems to be heading right to his arms, but then it rebounds into Hinata’s face, flying off elsewhere.**

“Oh my _Go_ -”

**“If this keeps happen-” The dean is saying, but the ball flies straight into his face. Everyone else looks horrified as the man’s wig flies off his head in slow motion. Now back to normal speed, the wig lands perfectly on Daichi’s shell-shocked head.**

Silence.

**The ball bounces away.**

And then, Nishinoya and Tanaka were in tears, Sugawara and Kiyoko were facing down to hide their smiles, Asahi had turned pale as paper, Daichi may have popped a blood vessel, and all the first years - save for a red-faced but giggling Hinata - were openly displaying their amusement.

“Shouyou- and then his face - the ball - his _wig_ ,” Nishinoya would have fallen off the chair had not Tanaka been cackling in his face. 

“I didn’t think it could get funnier,” Tanaka wheezed, slapping Nishinoya’s knee as he teetered. At this point, Yukio had put a pause on the screen and glanced over at the group. Asahi panicked even more, about to apologize profusely for the interruption - and _wow_ he should probably find the dean after, too - but is stopped by her fond smile.

Nishinoya struggled to take in a breath. “Y-Yuki-chan,” he managed. “Do you, do you mind if we play that again? Just once.” 

“Why not,” Yukio replied before Daichi or Ennoshita could comment on distractions.

The screen blinked back to a moment before the ball hit Hinata in the face. When it hit, everyone cracked up into smiles and laughter again, even Asahi flashing a, albeit nervous, smile. 

“One-” Tanaka gasped. “One more ti-”

“I think we can get back to the actual show now, _hm_?” 

The two second years froze, the others stifling chuckles at how quickly they stopped laughing. Daichi huffed a little under his breath and leaned back in his seat, Sugawara patting him on the shoulder. Sure, maybe it was funny the first time, but every time he watched he focused more and more on the dean’s reaction and remembered how they were specifically told _not_ to tell anyone about the incident and-

Yukio tilted her head up at him. “Good?”

“Good,” he sighed and the scene continued.

**“He was wearing a wig?” Is the first thing Kageyama says.**

**Hinata sniggers. “You just noticed?” He’s not even trying to whisper. “Everyone at the entrance ceremony could tell.”**

**Daichi slowly takes the wig off his head. Tanaka, although desperately trying not to laugh, raises his hand at his kouhai. “You guys! Shut up!”**

**He fails fantastically at holding in his laughter. “Tanaka,” Sugawara hisses, “you shut up, too.”**

**“Sawamura-kun,” the dean says, calmly, turning away. “I’d like a word with you.”**

Asahi wondered how judged he would be by his fellow third years if he looked through his fingers. In the front Nishinoya was grumbling. “Did he suspend anyone? He has a tendency to do that.”

**There’s a scenic view of crows sitting on telephone lines, cawing as the sun sets behind them. “Fortunately, he’s not punishing us,” Daichi says to the group, the scene now back at the gym. “And no apologies necessary,” they all sigh in relief,**

Asahi with them,

**but Daichi continues, “provided you all agree that you saw nothing.” They all stiffen at that, and Kageyama and Hinata look at each other, already ready to fight. “But, you guys…”**

**“All because you couldn’t hit a serve!” Kageyama tells Hinata. “You suck. What’s different from last year? Are you kidding me? I was dumb to even think about. You suck!”**

**“You talk too much,” Hinata retorts. A shadow casts over Daichi’s face, and his face is serious.**

**“Hey.” The group turns their attention to him, Tanaka looking more stressed than them all. “I want you to listen to me.” The two face him again. “I don’t know what your motive was for attending Karasuno. But I’m sure you came here with victory on your mind.”**

**Hinata steps forward, hands in fists. “Yes!”**

**“Of course,” Kageyama puts in.**

**Crows pick at trash outside as Daichi talks. “Karasuno was one of the top teams in the prefecture till a few years ago. It happened only once, but we even went to nationals.” Back in the gym, Daichi stands with his arms crossed. “Now we rank at best in the prefecture’s top 8. Neither weak nor strong. Other schools call us things like, ‘Fallen Rivals,’ and ‘Unflying crows.’” One of the crows turns its head as if offended.**

“Stupid nicknames if you ask me, we could probably beat half of them,” Tanaka spat. Ennoshita frowned as he debated the last half of the statement in his head. With a talented yet egotistical setter and a struggling shorty, could they really start to win? They hadn’t even played their first match yet…

 _A real crow looking offended for Karasuno’s crows,_ Kiyoko mused in her own head, still intrigued by the way the screen linked its metaphors and showed them to the viewers. _How ironic._

**A younger Daichi walks along a road, older students in the same uniform he wears now walking by. “I remember well when Karasuno competed in spring nationals.” He stops and turns to watch them. “Students from my neighbourhood, I’d pass by high school students who competed against the country’s best teams, in a huge gymnasium in Tokyo.” Younger Daichi watches them pass, a little in awe. Present Daichi opens his eyes. “It gave me goosebumps.”**

**Hinata gasps, remembering his first impression of the Little Giant.**

**“We’re going to go there again,” Daichi promises. The camera shifts until the sky is blue, crows flying upward, and leaving feathers in their wake. Hinata starts, suddenly hearing cheers. When he turns around, he’s in a larger gym on his own - the same stage where the Little Giant played.** **_I’m going to the same court as the little giant._ ** **His idol’s back is shown, #10 front and center.**

They all fell into a slightly stunned silence. For an expected thing of a captain to say to his teammates, the way the camera moved and his voice almost echoed made his promise all the more encouraging. Not to mention the crows taking off and Hinata’s own view of the court. It was breathtaking.

Or at least the third and second years thought so. Kageyama just sent Hinata a sideways glance when he stood on center court. _Confident much. There’s nothing to back it._

**“There are many,” Kageyama starts, “schools dreaming of going to nationals.”**

**“You bastard…” Tanaka hisses, hands clenched.**

“He’s not exactly lying,” Asahi murmured. Sugawara elbowed him in a way it bordered on unfriendly, but his smile was genuine. 

“Have a little faith in your team, huh?” Asahi couldn’t meet his eyes at the emphasis on ‘your.’

**“Don’t worry,” Daichi interrupts, face intimidating and stern. “I mean what I say.” Kageyama stiffens, looking affronted. “For us to make that happen, our team has to be unified. And we can’t have the dean keeping an eye on us.” His shoes are shown as he takes purposeful steps forward. Suga and Tanaka move away, looking nervous. “I’m not telling you guys to become buddies.” Daichi doesn’t stop until he’s inches away from them, in a complete shadow. “Even if you were enemies on opposite sides of the net in junior high, I need you to understand that now, you’re on the same side.”**

**He looks up, face scrunched up, and looking like it could give nightmares. “Do you get it?”**

The second years shivered with Hinata and Kageyama onscreen (and in-person). Asahi reeled back a bit and Sugawara cleared his throat as Daichi crossed his arms. _It doesn’t have to be the nicest expression in the world if it serves its purpose._

**Hinata and Kageyama both jump, shivers running up their bodies. Kageyama looks entirely wary of Daichi’s hand as he rests it on his shoulder. “No matter how outstanding you are,” Hinata shares this feeling as Daichi does the same to him, “no matter how willing you are to give it your all, if you fail to get along, and hinder your teammates…”**

The other two third years began to catch on. Kiyoko hid her amused expression as Asahi gaped. “Daichi, you didn’t-”

**Suga and Tanaka only turn their heads to watch the three move. Now outside, with Daichi at the door, he slams their club forms on their foreheads and pushes them away. “You’re not wanted!”**

“Oh, but he did,” Tanaka sighed from the front in response to Asahi.

**Hinata and Kageyama watch, almost dazed. “Until you realize that you’re both teammates, you won’t be participating in this club!” He shuts the door and time seems to stand still. Kageyama looks down at the form in his hand, Hinata up at the one on his forehead.**

“You would think they’d have a shorter reaction time, considering the situation,” Yamaguchi wondered, mostly to himself. 

Tsukishima shrugged beside him. “At the very least we know they’re equally as stupid.”

The boys in question bristled in response as Sugawara hummed behind them. “They still look adorable, despite the fact that you just broke their hearts.” Daichi snorted quietly in response.

**Silence, and then the realization hits like lightning and - “Huh?!”**

**“What does it mean to realize that we’re teammates?” Hinata asks desperately. “How do you do it?”**

**“Who knows?” Kageyama responds, just as clueless.**

“They’re being so serious over something so simple,” Kinoshita snickered to Narita.

**Hinata turns to shout at the door, “Please let me in! Please let me play volleyball!” He bows his head. “I’ll get along with Kageyama, too!” Suga listens to his pleas and raises and eyebrow at Daichi. “Please!”**

“He’s begging so wholeheartedly it’s almost sad,” Ennoshita said as Nishinoya and Tanaka laughed beside him.

**“Are you sure about this, Daichi? They’re still members.” He watches as Daichi faces away with his arms crossed, not looking the slightest bit affected by the cries. “Teams come together gradually, anyway.”**

**“I know that, but…”**

**Suga’s face drops as he hears Kageyama yell, “Out of my way!” There’s a thud, and then Hinata is shown lying on his back a few feet away. “I apologize! I swear I’ll get along with this guy. Please let me participate in the club.”**

“How can he say that when he just _threw_ Hinata away?” Asahi asked unbelievingly. 

Nishinoya hollered, “Shouyou looks like he’s dead!”

“Total K.O.,” Tanaka added and they both almost had tears in their eyes.

**The door begins to open, and Kageyama looks relieved for a second before he flinches once more. Half of Daichi’s face stares at him, eye dull and quite terrifying.**

The two wheezing second years immediately choked on their laughter.

**“Are you sure you mean that?” He drones. Kageyama grits his teeth and looks like he’s struggling not to say something. It flashes between Daichi’s menacing eye and his face.**

“You gotta give the guy some sympathy,” Tanaka shook his head as he sobered up. 

**Finally, Kageyama turns his face. “If I had to cooperate with that guy in a match,” he mumbles, “I’d rather receive, spike, and toss all by myself.”**

**“How could you say that?” Hinata yells.**

“Well he’s honest,” Kiyoko murmured and Sugawara chuckled.

**“I can’t believe you just told me your true feelings,” Daichi laughs. “But I think that’s a good thing. Still, in volleyball, you can’t drop the ball, you can’t hold the ball, and one player can’t touch the ball twice.” Hinata stares at his captain with wide eyes while Kageyama just looks irritated. “How do you plan to play by yourself?” Kageyama huffs, and Daichi just smiles in response and closes the doors.**

**Hinata turns to Kageyama, still carrying the same expression. “Let me ask you something. Are you actually stupid?” Kageyama’s face twinges in anger.**

**Inside, the rest of the team is having practice as usual. “Right!” Daichi yells as Sugawara tosses him the ball. He hits it off a fake block and another player dives to try and save it. “Tanaka, block and follow properly.”**

**“Osu!”**

“Chikara was the one who dove for it,” Tanaka grumbled. Ennoshita gave him a deadpan look.

“That’s the point - you didn’t even _try_.”

**Outside, Hinata clings to the windowsill with his feet planted against the wall, looking in. “The court and ball are in front of my eyes,” he whines and puts his face on his hands. “And it sucks that I’m not allowed in…”**

Sugawara giggled at his position and Nishinoya nodded approvingly. “Use your size to your advantage,” he declared to no one, and Tanaka snickered beside him.

**Kageyama stands up, fists clenched and hair ruffled. “Dammit! I have no time to waste like this.” Hinata looks over and jumps down as he continues. “I’m gonna make them let me in.”**

“Yeah, that’ll work,” Tsukishima muttered.

**“You realize we’re teammates now?” Hinata asks him.**

**“I’m a force to be reckoned with,” Kageyama claims. “That’s reason enough for me to be on the team.”**

_He’s… being serious,_ Ennoshita blinked. Then grimaced. _Oh_ God _, please let him mature._

**Hinata tenses in disbelief. “Just what I’d expect from the King-” He cuts himself off by covering his mouth. “Anyway, what are you going to do?”**

_Despite his obvious dislike, he still refrains from calling him ‘King.’ Isn’t this his worst enemy? I can’t imagine someone could be this kind-hearted. Maybe he doesn’t hate Kageyama as much as he claims,_ Kiyoko mused, but then shook her head with a small smile. _Or, maybe he just fears for his life._

**“I’ll challenge them to a two-on-two match,” Kageyama says, hands on his hips. “If we win, they have to let us in. If we team up, we’ll appear friendly no matter how we feel.” Hinata reels back a little. “That will speed things up.”**

**“We’re going to challenge our senpais?” Hinata gapes. “What if we lose?”**

**Kageyama looks deadly serious. “We won’t lose. You have me on your side.”**

“This is gonna get old, fast,” Narita whispered to Kinoshita, who nodded solemnly.

 **Hinata jumps, mouth still open.** **_Is this guy for real? Does he really mean what he says?_ ** **Kageyama glances over at him.**

**“You just need to do the best you can…” He glares and Hinata looks utterly stressed. “...to not get in my way.”**

**“Huh?” He’s up in Kageyama’s face in a heartbeat. “Do you think anyone would agree to that and be all, ‘Yes, I’ll do the best I can’?”**

_A guy can dream,_ Kageyama sighed inwardly.

**Kageyama doesn’t flinch. “So what do you suggest?” Hinata trembles. “Keep gazing through that window?”**

**Hinata relaxes, but his face casts down. “In junior high, I was only in one real match, the one against your school. We didn’t have enough team members to apply for a tournament till then. I couldn’t have real practice, so I trained wherever I could. The gym, hallways, random corners…” Kageyama furrows his eyebrows.** **_In hallways?_ **

**“So that first tournament…” There’s a flashback of Hinata taking a step onto that court. “When I stood at the center of the court in that huge gymnasium…” His face is shining with awe. “I felt the spotlight on me, I got worked up, like ‘Gwaaa!’”**

**_‘Gwaaa?’_ ** **Kageyama thinks. “I wanted to stay there, but…”**

Tsukishima huffs. It was really quite amusing to see the two idiots try to understand each other.

**Kageyama looks away from him, face thoughtful. “Staying on the court…” The article from the sports magazine is shown, Kageyama tossing as the highlight. “Only the strong can stay.”**

Sugawara frowned. _I know this was before, but I hope he won’t dwell on it even after Hinata convinced him he’d spike his toss._

**“Well, what are we going to do? If we don’t go in together, they’ll slam the door.”**

**Hinata’s fists unclench, then clench again. “If I can play volleyball…” he looks up, suddenly smiling and pushing one arm out to the side. “I can endure anything, for a little while! No matter how obnoxious you are, I’ll do my best to keep from seeing you!”**

**“That’s my line, you idiot!” Kageyama yells, fists raised as Hinata flinches back.**

**“Um…”**

“Kiyoko-san’s first full appearance,” Nishinoya sighed, already blushing.

 **The two turn to look at the new arrival. There are flashes of someone’s chest and bottom,** **_clearly_ ** **feminine, and then the girl’s face - raven-haired with blue eyes behind a frame of glasses. “Can you let me through?”**

Kiyoko blinked as Tanaka and Nishinoya lay on the verge of passing out in the front seats. Her fellow third years all made it a point to not look her in the eyes. Turning her head to Yukio, she didn’t even open her mouth before the other girl raised a hand, eyes still closed. 

“This is how it’s been put into my head, I’m not purposefully trying to make anyone uncomfortable.” Still calm, Kiyoko nodded in understanding and relaxed in her seat. “Sorry,” Yukio added after some thought. It was a good everyone had already been affected by the onscreen Kiyoko. They would’ve gotten a one-way ticket to heaven watching the present Kiyoko give a small smile and wave her hand dismissively.

**They move back, staring. She walks by them with what seems like a heavenly aura. She opens the door and Tanaka is quickly running to meet her. “Kiyoko-san, good to see you! I’ll get that for you.”**

**“Nevermind. I’ll hold it myself.”**

**“Kiyoko-san, you’re beautiful as ever today!”**

**Kiyoko walks right by him, and then suddenly Tanaka shivers. “It turns me on when she ignores me!” Sugawara steps in with an empty smile, closing the door on them. For a second nothing happens. And then Hinata’s head is glowing red as he lets off steam, and Kageyama flinches away.**

_Crazy how Kageyama doesn’t even look affected,_ Yamaguchi shook his head, a bit flustered himself. _Guess he really does only have volleyball on his mind._

**Now nighttime, a whistle blows from inside the gym. “Good job, everyone,” they all call.**

**Tanaka waves a water bottle in the air as the rest of the team change their shoes or put on their jackets. “They’ll probably say, ‘Let us in if we can beat you in a match.’”**

**“That’s possible,” Sugawara responds. “But all they have to do is show just a little contrition, that’s all.”**

**“Captain!”**

**Daichi blinks and the rest of the team turn to look at the closed door. “Let us challenge you to a match!” Kageyama and Hinata yell. Tanaka laughs as Daichi stands before them.**

“Can’t believe Tanaka of all people was right,” Ennoshita drawled to Narita and Kinoshita. They laughed as Tanaka glared at them sharply.

**“The two of us against you senpais,” Hinata says.**

**“Are these guys for real?” Tanaka wheezes and Sugawara puts a hand to his head.**

**“One-two…” they whisper before they both yell, “We’ll prove that we can cooperate as a team!”**

**Tanaka holds his stomach as Sugawara mutters, “I heard them say ‘one-two’...”**

**“But I can’t say I dislike these guys,” Tanaka adds.**

**Daichi is unphased. “And what if you lose?”**

**Hinata makes a troubling noise but Kageyama says, “We’ll endure any penalty.”**

“Shouldn’t have said that,” Tanaka whispered to Nishinoya, who raised an eyebrow curiously.

**“Hmm…” Daichi wonders, face still in a shadow. “Then now’s the time.” Two club application forms sit in a cubby underneath a pencil case. “There are two other first-year applicants besides you guys. It’ll be a three-on-three match against them.” Hinata and Kageyama gasp quietly. “We always play this game every year, just to see what the new members are made of.”**

**Hinata raises a finger like he’s counting something, and then points at himself and Kageyama. “But how does it become three-on-three? Who’s our other team member?”**

**“Tanaka. I want you to be on Hinata’s side.”**

**Tanaka jumps a little. “What? Me?”**

**“You don’t dislike them, right?”**

**“That doesn’t mean I want to play with them.” Hinata’s and Kageyama’s faces drop.**

“Why do I feel like I know what Daichi-san’s going to say?” Kinoshita sighed.

**“I see. I thought you’d be the only one here who could discipline these troublemakers,” Daichi sighs.**

**Tanaka’s ear seems to grow large as he listens to Daichi’s words. He places his hands on his hips, grinning. “Oh, well! I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll do it.” Jumping forward, he pats Hinata’s shoulder roughly. “Aren’t you glad?”**

_Predictable,_ the other second years thought as Nishinoya slapped Tanaka on the back proudly.

**Daichi isn’t finished. “And if you lose the match, as long as we third-years are here, Kageyama will never play setter.”**

**Kageyama’s face drops in disbelief and a little bit of horror. “That’s all?” Hinata asks.**

“Oh.” Despite his kouhai’s clearly inflated ego, Nishinoya couldn’t help but frown for Kageyama. He held his position in the same esteem Nishinoya held his. He couldn’t imagine being told he couldn’t play libero. He shivered visibly at the thought.

**“That’s because our team can’t win with a self-centered setter,” Daichi explains. Kageyama’s mouth is twisted to the side. “A guy who banks on his skills, but loses.” Kageyama lets out a small ‘tch.’ “What’s the matter? I’m not ejecting you from the club.” Hinata turns to look over as Kageyama’s eyes narrow. “You’d be good in other positions, too, wouldn’t you?”**

**“I’m a setter!” Kageyama finally spits.**

A few of the team started slightly at the intensity in his words.

**“Then win,” Daichi responds.**

**Hinata watches Kageyama warily as Daichi goes on, “You’re here because you think you can win by yourself, right?”**

**“I… I’m here, too!” Hinata sputters, raising his hand.**

**“The game will be on Saturday morning.”**

**“I… I’m here, too!” Hinata repeats, jumping this time.**

“This seems like a sight we’ll have to get used to,” Tsukishima sighed.

**Tanaka points at himself smugly. “Listen up! Tanaka-senpai’s gonna teach you a lesson-” Sugawara yanks him back by the collar just as he finishes.**

**“Understood?” Daichi asks. Sugawara shuts the doors.**

**Kiyoko watches, intrigued by the interesting scenario. “Are we being a little too hard on those guys?” Sugawara wonders again.**

**Tanaka seems to agree. “That’s true. You’re stricter than usual, Daichi-san.”**

**“Do you have some special reason in mind?” Daichi faces away.**

_He denied it, but I still can’t believe he knew what they could do for the team,_ Sugawara glanced at Daichi.

**“Dammit!” Kageyama stomps.**

**Hinata watches from the steps. “What? Are you mad because you’re gonna eat the penalty? But even if you’re not a setter, I’m sure you’d do fine as a regular.” Kageyama tenses.**

Asahi did too in fearful anticipation.

**“And…” Hinata continues, skipping down the steps and spreading his arms, “spikers are cooler than setters anyway.” He imitates a spike, smiling. “Wham, like that!”**

**Kageyama snaps, spinning around and grabbing Hinata by the shirt. “Bastard!” He shouts.**

Asahi fully reeled back from the yell, and the others couldn’t even blame him as Yamaguchi followed his lead.

**“The setter is the team’s control tower! It’s the setter that handles the ball the most in a match. It’s the most dominant role! It’s the coolest!”**

**“Huh?” Hinata whimpers, still confused by the sudden angry action.**

**“And your favourite, the spike. You can’t shoot without the setter.”**

Despite the pauses that regularly happened between exciting moments, this one seemed even quieter. Tsukishima spoke up, “does the King have anger issues or something?” His voice was put off so slightly it was barely noticeable, but it still was. 

Kageyama didn’t seem to react, staring at the screen with an impassive face. Inside, he didn’t want to admit how his heart clenched. The comment he’d been expecting from Tsukishima stung more than he thought it would.

**“But setter looks difficult, and it’s not very flashy…”**

**Kageyama grunts and lets go, pushing slightly. “You… Have you ever seen a huge tournament live?”**

**“I haven’t.”**

**A professional volleyball match is shown, the camera moving quickly as it’s clearly on television. “It’s hard to tell from the angles they show on TV…” The same game, but from a long shot of the court. “But if you watch from the end side of the court, you can see the setter’s super-fast toss really well. Zoom. From one end of the court to the other,” Kageyama mimics the movement with his hand. “The ball goes past the enemy’s block.”**

**He clenches his fists and then waves his hands, pointing at Hinata. “You think to yourself: ‘Hey! Can they really return that?’” The ball flies in the air. “But before the toss, the spiker jumps, and hits it. Wham! Like that.” The spiker on the court does exactly that.**

**“O-Oh…” Hinata stutters.**

**“Sure, spikers are cool. But… But the setter tricks the enemy blockers. The setter tears down walls for the spiker. It’s difficult, it’s cool, it’s fun, and that’s the setter!”**

Yelling now ceased, the others took in Kageyama’s words with a bit of awe, others envy. Envy at how dedicated someone could be to the sport, how close to their hearts they could feel every successful point, every win, every loss. Nishinoya and Tanaka puffed out their chests, not hiding their grins. It wasn’t even their position, but _that_ was the pride they wanted everyone to have.

Asahi felt something tug in his chest. The way his kouhai defended and spoke with such vigor about his spot reminded him of the way he felt about being ace. The feeling only died down because… _right. Maybe Kageyama just hadn’t experienced his first hit of reality yet._ He struggled to convince himself of it.

On the other side of the spectrum, Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, irritated. _Being this attached to a club is just plain idiotic and unlogical. They really are delusional._

**Hinata furrows his brows. “I understand why now you want to be setter.”**

**There’s a flashback of Daichi saying,** **_“Kageyama will never play setter.”_ **

**“Damn…” Kageyama swears, “why is that?”**

_He really can’t tell,_ Ennoshita frowned, almost sympathetic.

**Hinata tilts his head. “All you have to do is win. You were full of confidence taking on the senpais, weren’t you?”**

**Kageyama looks away.** **_That’s right. I can’t get anxious. I can’t rely on this guy,_ ** **there’s a flash of an intimidating looking Tanaka,** **_but I can send tosses to that second-year guy._ **

Hinata squawked in offense while the third years just snorted at Kageyama’s lasting impression of Tanaka. _I even said I understood him!_ Hinata flailed. _What the heck?_

Nishinoya grinned proudly and pointed at the screen. “That, Shouyou, is how you make people remember you!” 

“I see!” Hinata exclaimed as Tanaka and Nishinoya high-fived, their fellow second years looking tired beside them.

**“Hey,” he points at Hinata. “We better do something about that sorry receive of yours by Saturday.”**

**“Sorry?” Hinata deflates. “Well, but we can’t use the gym.” Kageyama also falters, but they’re both startled by someone loudly clearing their throat.**

**“Oh, yes,” Tanaka practically yells, standing by the window. He cups a hand so Kageyama and Hinata can hear. “Morning practice is at 7:00 AM tomorrow, right?”**

“The god of being subtle,” Narita murmured. 

**“Of course, but why did you ask that all of a sudden?” Sugawara questions.**

**Tanaka stumbles. “Oh, uh, well… was the dean’s wig undamaged?”**

**Daichi hisses, “Hey, stop talking about that!”**

**Outside, Kageyama and Hinata look newly determined. “Tomorrow…” They both say. Then they take simultaneous steps away from the gym.**

**“5:00 AM,” Kageyama says.**

_For volleyball?_ Yamaguchi cringed.

**“Don’t be late,” Hinata responds.**

**“You don’t be late.”**

**Gradually, they both speed up until they’re sprinting, racing each other. “My bag! I forgot my bag!” Hinata shouts. Tanaka smirks from the inside of the gym.**

**It’s the next morning, and the sky is still dark. Hands attempt to open the door but it doesn’t budge. “Just as I was afraid of…” Hinata sighs, “it’s locked.”**

**“Then find a window you can get in from,” Kageyama says from behind him.**

“Is Kageyama trying to be a bad boy?” Tanaka questioned, turning in his seat.

“Who are you trying to impress, I wonder?” Nishinoya hummed, trying to look intimidating. 

Tanaka bared his teeth. “Kiyoko-san doesn’t like delinquents my kouhai, and neither do I.”

Kageyama blinked at both of them as Hinata reared back from the looks on their faces. “I wasn’t trying to be a delinquent,” Kageyama explained bluntly. “I was trying to get in so I could win.” His senpais studied him for a moment before nodding and sitting back down in their seats. Kageyama tilted his head, lost.

**Hinata whips around. “We’ll get in trouble if we’re caught. Are you stupid?”**

**“5:00 AM sure is rough,” Tanaka, appearing out of nowhere, says with a sigh.**

**“Tanaka-san?” Hinata gasps.**

**He yawns, but then grins and swings a key in front of his face. “Get out of here before 7:00 AM.”**

**“Tanaka-san!” Hinata yells and Kageyama thanks him.**

**Tanaka laughs and turns his face away. “What a good senpai I am. Call my Tanaka-senpai.”**

**“Tanaka-senpai!” He laughs harder.**

**“Once again.”**

**“Tanaka-senpai!”**

Ennoshita placed a hand on his forehead.

 **Tanaka cackles. “Alright. Time to practice.” He opens the door for the gym, suddenly having flashbacks to last night.** **_“That’s true. You’re stricter than usual, Daichi-san.”_ **

**_“Do you have some special reason in mind?”_ **

**_“You guys saw their match last year,”_** **Daichi starts. A scene of Kageyama tossing came on screen.** **_“Kageyama had outstanding ability as a junior-high student…”_ ****Kageyama yells and points accusingly at his teammate.** **_“But his ability hasn’t yielded any results. And he’s self-centered, which means he’ll repeat the same mistakes as in junior high. He’ll get in the way of the team for sure.”_ **

Kageyama grit his teeth but stayed silent, wisening up the tiniest bit.

 **Daichi has his arms crossed.** **_“But what’s different from junior high…”_ ****There’s a picture of Hinata, about to spike a ball.** **_“Is that Hinata is on the same team now with Kageyama.”_ **

**Tanaka tilts his head.** **_“Hinata? Well, he’s sort of a ball of athletic reflexes, but…”_ **

**_“Yeah. He’s far removed from his true potential,”_ ****a scene of Hinata’s spike getting blocked,** **_“but he has rare speed and reflexes, and his jump… He didn’t get the chance to play with a setter in junior high.”_ ****One of Kageyama’s tosses is shown, Kindaichi missing it by a bit.** **_“And Kageyama is seeking for a fast spiker who can hit his tosses.”_ ** **The two are shown back to back, two lines of bright light dancing behind them.** **_“Those guys are imperfect on their own…”_ ****the two lines meet, and then expand into one large wall, making Kageyama and Hinata only appear as shadows.** **_“But put their abilities together…”_ **

**The light makes way for a lit ceiling, and then Kageyama, in the Karasuno jersey, is tossing the ball up.** **_“If we can utilize that combination…”_ ****Hinata, also in the jersey, swings his arm to hit the ball. Suddenly, Daichi is smiling at his teammates. A blast of air seems to hit Sugawara and Tanaka and they raise their arms to brace themselves. Daichi stands on a tree branch, crows flying all around him.** **_“Karasuno will make explosive improvement.”_ **

**_“Don’t you agree?”_ **

Silence, save for a few quiet breaths of awe.

**In real-time, Tanaka smiles and turns around to look at his kouhai. The two are fighting in the doorway. “Cut it out! I’m going first,” Hinata yells.**

**“Tanaka-san is in there. He was first,” Kageyama tells him, but makes no move to stop pushing.**

**“If that’s what you think, move.”**

**Tanaka winces. “Hey. There’s no time…” There’s a thud and Hinata lets out a pained noise. Tanaka grimaces.** **_These bastards have more problems than teamwork…_ **

**The lights in the gymnasium flicker on and Hinata awes, “Ah, the gymnasium.”**

**“You were here yesterday,” Tanaka says.**

**_The little giant practiced here, too._ ** **Hinata smiles.** **_Alright._ ** **“Let’s do this!”**

There was more of a pause before everyone felt free to talk, still a bit affected by the hypnotizing scenes in the show. Yukio turned her head and waited for a member of their group to speak up. 

“Who puts the scenes in your head, Yukio-chan?” It was Yamaguchi, curious. “Earlier you said that it wasn’t your choice what showed on the screen, I think, so where do you get it from?”

Yukio hummed in thought. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t sure?” She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. “When I realized what I could do, it was my own life I saw in flashes at first, in my head or accidentally putting it on a desk or wall. I’d never seen it before, so I couldn’t imagine it came from within me,” Yukio smiled. “Whatever the case, I’ve already viewed this, um, this story a few times, so you guys don’t have to be wo-” she hesitated. “Too worried.”

Deciding to skip over her last sentence, for now, Sugawara sighed. “Well, whoever it is, they did one hell of a job with those effects.”

“Agreed,” Daichi chuckled. The quiet began to settle again. 

“So, next episode?” Yukio asked.

Hinata pumped a fist into the air. “Third time's the charm!”

Kageyama whacked him in the back of the head. “That doesn’t even make sense, dumbass!”

“Sure it does! We’re watching the _third_ video, dummy-”

“There’s nothing to be charmed!”

“Maybe not for _yo_ -”

Yukio hurriedly played the next episode before things could escalate further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter,,, will come out when it does
> 
> but i will work on it right away so please be patient even tho ik i dont need to ask because y'all are amazing
> 
> thanks for all the support!! see y'all later :D

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! I have the first episode "script" all written up, so it shouldn't be too long for chapter 1. Please, if you ever have any suggestions for character reactions or even how I can put them more in character, comment to your heart's content! And, uh, ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗ ᶦˢ ⁿᶦᶜᵉ ᵗᵒᵒ.
> 
> PS - can anyone guess what "other world" (cough anime cough) I was referring to? Who is this mysterious Russian hat man?
> 
> See you next time!


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